Mystically charmed to fall for Klaus
by Lorelei Candice Black
Summary: Set during season 1 of TVD and at the beginning of New Moon in Twilight. Bella is a witch, the Charmed kind of witch. I borrowed some Spells for the TV show Charmed. It has the same base as my MCTF that paired Bella and Elijah, except now she's with Klaus. Rewriting makes it LONGER. Done
1. Chapter 1

**_Mystically charmed to fall for Klaus_**

 _TVD/Twilight X-over._

 _Set during season 1 of TVD (about the same time Isobel arrives in town) and at the beginning of New Moon in Twilight. Bella is a witch, the Charmed kind of witch. I borrowed some Spells for the TV show Charmed._

 _Rewritten with some changes, especially the pairing. And we all now that when you change a pairing, you change everything. For the first few chapters, not much changes, mainly details or small unimportant facts but you should reread them anyway :-)._

* * *

 _Chapter 1:_

Bella was on her way to Mystic Falls to live with her grandmother. She had been through so much in the past few days that she was surprised she could still function like a normal person. But then again, she knew now that she wasn't really a normal girl, she never had been, despite what the Cullen seemed to think when they left her. She breathed out as the memories of these past few weeks overtook her thoughts while she watched the trees blurring by the moving car she was in.

.

Bella had been forced by Alice to go to a birthday party she never wanted in the first place with gift she demanded they didn't get her. She remembered clearly saying, assuring them, that she didn't want or need any kind of presents from them.

Of course, Alice being Alice, the party still happened and there was presents. There, Bella got a stupid little paper cut and Jasper, feeling the thirst of every other vampire in the room on top of his own couldn't hold it in, which was understandable really, she didn't blame him. You can't open 8 bottles of old delicious Bourbon in front of an alcoholic and expect him not to want to drink them. Seeing Jasper's reaction, Edward over reacted as usual and it resulted in her getting an even bigger cut, which bled more, and ended up with him taking the decision to leave her, pretending it was for her own good.

Bella didn't understand why Alice never saw this coming.

She should have seen it the second the decision to wrap the gift was made, especially since it was her present that gave her this paper cut. Did that mean she wanted this to happen? That thought haunted Bella lately and kept her up at night. She didn't just lose Edward that day when he left her in the woods, she also lost her best friend and her second family. These thoughts haunted her and for the few days after the party she was just the shadow of herself, she scared not only her father, who was afraid he'd have to have her hospitalized but her mother and grandmother too.

The two women arrived as fast as they could: her mother from Jacksonville, Florida got there first on a plane and her grandmother from Mystic Falls, Virginia, arrived a couple of days later in her car, saying she was on her way for a surprise visit when they called her. Bella felt there was more to it but decided to put it aside for now. Her grandmother would tell her the truth when she was ready and only if she wanted to. She was stubborn that way.

.

At that moment, the one that defined what would happen to Bella for the next few months, they were all eating dinner in the kitchen and Bella tried to ignore the tension that was palpable between the three adults. She knew that her mother had never gotten along with her grandmother but she didn't understand why her mother was being so hostile with the sweet and elderly woman that Bella loved.

"Bella sweetheart, you can't stay like that. You have to get out of this funk you've been into." Charlie declared as the four of them were sitting around the kitchen table.

"You'll just have to come home with me, Bella. Some normalcy will do you good." Renee assured her daughter in a tone that showed she was very confident.

She didn't see Charlie or Isabelle rolling their eyes but Bella did and if she had the energy to fight for anything, she'd have rolled hers as well. Didn't her mother understand anything at all?

"Oh yeah, having to take care of you will do me a lot of good!" Bella replied sarcastically, shocking her mother only.

At first she had intended to keep it in but she couldn't stop it from getting out of her mouth and instead of the whisper she had been hoping for, she had spoken at a normal level. Everyone looked at her as if she had screamed the words, which was understandable since she had been barely whispering for the past few days, when she spoke at all.

"Bella! How can you say that?" Renee asked in a mad tone.

"It's only the truth Renee and you know it. With my son Bella does the cooking but she's still a child, able to live her teenager's life; with you she's always had to be the responsible one. She had to spend all her time taking care of you when you should have been the one taking care of her! You never let her be the teenager she should have been. Why do you think she's always so serious? You never thought it was strange that she never went to school dances or football games or other things with her friends? I'm sorry Renee but you seem to only care about yourself." The older woman snapped, obviously trying hard to stay polite.

Bella smiled softly at her grandmother's rant. She was the only one in her family who truly got her.

"Mom is right, Renee. Maybe it's not for the best if Bella goes with you but I agree that she can't stay here where everything will remind her of _them_." Charlie agreed, saying the last word like it was some insult or a very dirty word.

Bella vaguely wondered if Billy had gone to her father to tell him "I told you so" already or if he was saving it for later.

"What would you think about coming to live with me in Mystic Falls, Bella?" The elderly woman asked her granddaughter, seeing there the opportunity she had been looking for to spend a lot of alone time with the youngest Swan and teach her everything she needed to know in order to survive in the special world she was in before it was too late.

"I don't mind. Maybe some changes will do me some good." Bella answered in a small voice, ignoring her mother's glare at the older woman.

.

After that, Renee left, not even saying goodbye to her daughter towards whom she was directing all of her anger and resentment. She had felt humiliated by her ex mother in law's remark and personally blamed Bella for it. not even finishing her meal, she had taken her things and rushed out of the house and town she hated to go back to her warm and sunny home and her younger husband.

Bella understood that her mother was hurt but for once she needed to do what was best for herself and she felt that being with her grandmother would be the right choice. Renee just needed to get over it because Bella had decided she wasn't going to worry herself with this new problem when she wasn't done grieving the Cullen's departure. She had a right to do things that were good for herself and Bella hoped that her mother would understand.

She also tried not to be too angry at her mother even though she presently felt like the woman she had once loved more than anyone had failed her. She should have been the responsible one, the one who made sure the bills were paid and that there was food on the table, she shouldn't have let her child do it and though Bella tried not to be angry at her mother for it, knowing that she could now let go felt good. She wouldn't apologize to her mother, she'd concentrate on her own life and wait for her mother to step up and come back to her. If she cared, she'd be back, right?

A few days passed where Isabelle and Charlie planned everything for Bella's stay in Mystic Falls. Since the Swan's were one of the most important founding families of the town, it hadn't been very hard to enroll Bella in school so late.

Also, since the Swan family had a lot of money, they would be able to buy Bella a new car once there so she didn't have to depend on her grandmother to drive her around whenever she wanted to go out.

.

That day, the day Bella would always remember as the day her life changed again forever, she was in her room, thinking about the good moments she spent with the Cullen's and Charlie was at work, as usual, when Isabelle Swan, Bella's grandmother, decided she needed to talk with her granddaughter before they left for the town full of mysteries. She wanted to explain everything to her before they arrived in the supernatural filled town.

"Bella, I need to talk to you Sweet." The old woman declared as she made her way inside the bedroom and she sat on the young woman's bed.

"What is it grandma?" Bella asked in a surprised voice, sitting up from her lying position and resting her head against the wall.

Until that moment, her grandmother had respected her need to be alone and to grieve. She didn't understand why she was here now.

"Before you come to live with me, I need to let you in on a very important family secret." She started, pausing a second to make sure she had Bella's attention.

"You're finally going to tell me what's the secret ingredient to you Lasagnas' recipe?" Bella asked with a small smile.

She didn't know why she felt better already but her grandmother's presence soothed her pain and sorrow. Maybe her grandmother knew what she was doing after all. But then again, she always felt better when she was close to her grandmother.

"Very funny Sweet, I'll be on my deathbed when I tell you this one." The older woman replied with a chuckle, happy that she managed to make Bella smile and forget the Cullen's for a moment.

"Figures… So, what is it?" Bella asked curiously.

"I'm going to ask you not to interrupt me okay?" She asked and when Bella nodded, she kept going:

"We are witches Bella, I am a witch and so are you. Now remember, no interruptions before I'm done because it's really important okay?"

Bella, who was about to ask her grandmother if she had hit her head recently, nodded and the old woman kept going:

"Good. There are two sorts of witches on Earth. The first one is weak and they are servants of nature, well more slaves really if you want my opinion. They have to say specific words in an ancient language and get tired pretty easily. Then there is us. Yes, us. We are the real witches, the most powerful ones and our bloodline is especially powerful and old. We have specific personal powers and can cast spells in our own language, or any other that we choose to use. We can kill demons and other supernatural beings with potions or spells, sometimes both are necessary when they are very strong or old. We are much more powerful than the other kind and most of them don't know we exist. In our family, we have seen premonitions, telekinesis, freezing people, healing and exploding things from a distance as personal powers. We don't know in advance which powers we'll have and it can be hard to adjust as a child so I bind you powers when you were a baby, knowing I wouldn't be around to help you learn to control them all the time. The spell I used was so you could unbind them after your 18th birthday with the right spell." Isabelle decided to stop there.

If at first Bella seemed to doubt her grandmother's mental health, it looked now like it was starting to make sense to her. Isabelle could see she was accepting it.

"I'm a witch?" Bella asked, surprising her grandmother by not being shocked at all.

She asked it like she would have asked _'so we're having Enchiladas for dinner?'_ or anything else.

"You don't seem surprised by that…"

Isabelle knew Bella would have accepted it pretty easily, it was in her nature after all, but she couldn't help but be impressed by the fact Bella wasn't shocked over the news that supernatural really existed outside of fairy tales books.

"Well, I always felt like there was something different with me. I never really adapted well with other people and … also… The Cullen, they… they are vampires." Bella replied feeling the familiar pain awakening in her chest at the mention of her ex boyfriend's family, only this time, her grandmother's presence soothed it a bit and it wasn't as big a pain as usual.

"Really? I've heard they were out quite often during the day. Did they have rings with Lapis Lazuli then? It's a blue stone." Isabelle asked her granddaughter.

"They didn't need it, they hid out of public sight when it was sunny." Bella explained, trying to hide her pain from her grandmother by keeping up a neutral face.

"You've seen them in the sun without rings?" The elderly woman was having a hard time understanding.

"Yes, Ed… They were quite lovely with the way they sparkled!" Bella exclaimed.

If she could talk about the Cullen without breaking down, she couldn't say Edward's name yet, she could barely think it without being in a lot of pain.

"Sparkled, you mean they didn't burn?" Isabelle asked her granddaughter, starting to remember why she used to call Bella her little _'danger-magnet'_ when she was a kid.

"Burn? No, of course not." Bella was confused now.

"Cold ones… You dated a Cold one! Oh Bella, come here." She motioned for Bella to come closer and took her in her arms.

Bella did as she was asked and let her grandmother hug her. Her grandmother always made everything better, from a scratch on the knee to a broken heart. Maybe it was her power after all, maybe her gift was to make people better or maybe it was strictly a grandmother thing.

After that, Isabelle proceeded to explain to the younger Swan the difference between real vampires and Cold ones. Even though they appeared stronger, real vampires, even young ones, were much stronger than the Cold ones and could kill them easily. Plus, their venom made real vampire much stronger. She told them that nobody knew where Cold ones came from but that she knew how real vampires were created. She informed Bella she would be able to read the entire story in the Book of Shadows.

"How do we know so much about them?" Bella asked curiously.

"One of the first vampires, a member of the Original family, told a Swan witch his entire story about a century ago. I think his name was Kol. He was trying to flirt with her and use her so she could protect him from his brother Klaus. I don't remember everything but you'll be able to read everything in the Book." Isabelle answered before she drifted the conversation to others magical beings.

It took the elderly Swan a couple of hours to resume to Bella the different races there was in the supernatural world. She did her best to explain everything as well as she could without having their book of spells with her, knowing Bella would be reading it later anyway.

"So, are you ready to come to your powers?" Isabelle asked.

"Sure… What do I do?"

"I left our Book of Shadows at home but I've written the spell down. Here it is. All you have to do is say it and call for your powers." She handed Bella a piece of paper with a few words.

Bella unfolded the paper and read it first in her head.

"You have to say it out loud Sweet." Isabella reminded her gently.

"Okay, here we go: _Hear now the words of the witch, The secrets I hid in the night. The oldest of gods are invoked here, The great work of magic is sought. In this night and in this hour, I call upon the ancient power. Bring your powers to the last Swan witch, Give me the power, I want my power._ " Bella was stressed out and wondering if anything would happen at all when suddenly, an amazingly beautiful blue light appeared and went in her.

"Is this it? Am I a witch now?" Bella asked her grandmother.

"You've always been a witch Bella, it's in your blood, but yes, you have your powers now and you'll be able to use them."

"What powers do I have?" Bella asked, a little excited about all of this.

Every since the conversation started, Bella hadn't thought about the Cullen's once. She felt complete and at peace, like for the first time since she was born, the world she lived in finally made sense and fit around her.

"There is a prophecy in our family, I can't say it all because it might keep you from fulfilling it but all I can tell you is that you're going to live forever and be the most powerful witch of our line, maybe ever."

"How can I live forever if I'm just a witch? Didn't you just say that witches can't live forever?" Bella asked, confused.

"If the other sort of witches cannot keep their powers once they change into vampires, you will be able to and after you, maybe other witches will be able to as well." Her grandmother answered.

"So my destiny is to become a vampire?" Bella asked, feeling the familiar pain as it reminded her of the Cullen's and the future she thought she had with them, the one she wanted with Edward.

"Don't worry about it now sweetheart. At some point it will come and all will make sense then." Isabelle replied as she softly patted Bella's hair, guessing it brought painful memories of her past with the Cullen's.

"So how do I find out what powers I have?" The young woman asked, trying to keep her mind busy and away from painful subjects.

"We just have to wait and see Bella, but you can already do some spells." She informed her.

"Like what?" Bella was getting really excited.

Edward and the Cullen's were far from her mind right now. She could do magic, she had powers. According to her grandmother, she was even strong enough to hold her own against a Cold One. She was born to be a strong independent woman. Born to be a bad-ass. She couldn't help but think that Emmett would be happy for her and that they'd have fun together testing out her powers.

"Why don't you call the Book of Shadows? Here, I wrote the spell down too, just in case." She suggested as she handed her granddaughter another piece of paper.

"Okay, let's summon the Book of Shadows then: _I call upon the ancient power to help us in this hour. Let the Book come to this place and claim refuge in its rightful owner's place._ " Bella recited, anxious to see what would happen and kind of expecting it not to work at all.

The old and heavy book appeared on the bed, between the two witches, surrounded by little blue lights after only a few seconds of waiting. Then Isabelle let the young witch look at it while she stayed next to her, answering her questions and guiding her as Bella read.

"There are a lot of spells to kill." Bella noted after she flipped a few pages and saw words like ' _Kill_ ', ' _destroy_ ', ' _banish_ ', ' _trap_ ' and ' _summon_ ' coming up quite often.

"Only demons Bella, when they attack innocents, we kill them."

"Are they all bad?" Bella asked.

"Of course not Bella, just like the Cullen's were nice Cold One's some demons are good and some are bad. You need to remember that there is bad in every supernatural race just like there is good in every single one of these races. I've seen supposed Angels act badly just like I've seen demons save people's lives. Nothing is completely black or white in life, ever. A Cupid can be selfish once in a while, just like a demon can be generous." The elderly witch answered as Bella kept looking in the large book and found the page about Cold Ones.

"Look Granny, Cold ones. Sub-race of vampires, hard as rock, sparkle in the sun, have poor control. That's it… It's not even half of it!" Bella exclaimed.

"It's all the witches in our family have gathered over the centuries. Why don't you add what you know?" She suggested.

"I can do that?" Bella asked with surprise.

"Of course you can, this book is now yours and every witch in our family has added things over the years. I did it, my mother did it and now it's your turn to do it." She said as she handed Bella a pen.

The young girl smiled and started writing down everything she knew, including names of the Cullen Family or other coven they told her about like the Denali's, what she heard about the Volturi and everything else like the eye color, what it meant, and their abilities.

.

The two women stayed a few more days in Forks before they loaded all of Bella's things into the car and Isabelle drove off with her much happier granddaughter.

In those last few days, Bella had taken very seriously her new found powers and spent a lot of time reading the book and practicing small spells. She quickly had discovered that she had the power to heal other people when they were wounded.

She discovered it when her grandmother cut herself while cooking and Bella put her hand on the cut to stop it from bleeding long enough to get the emergency kit. A warm light left her hands then and she healed her grandmother without even knowing it. She discovered she could heal herself too, as long as she could reach the place that needed healing. Her grandmother warned her it would be best not to count on it if she got to important injuries or if she got sick, it wouldn't work. The ability was limited but Bella liked it anyway, she could use it to help a lot of people and it was the most important in her opinion.

Though after this power discovery, Bella had to sleep for a few hours because of how much it had tired her out. That's when she understood what her grandmother meant. Her power would be enough to keep someone mortally wounded alive long enough to reach an hospital, but she wouldn't be able to truly save lives without putting her own on the line.

In the Book of Shadows, a page was dedicated to the powers of the Swan witches and there was a warning under ' _healing_ ' that stated that she would use her own energy to heal people and that she shouldn't abuse it if she wanted to stay strong. Using it to heal a deadly wound would cost Bella her life. Another handwriting recommended taking a nap and eating something after healing other people. She decided to be more careful in the future after that and to only use this power when absolutely necessary.

Bella had discovered she could also move things from afar when she concentrated and had practiced a lot on it. She had discovered this one when she was in the shower and realized her bottle of shampoo was empty and the new one was on the shelf. To get it she would have to walk on the slippery floor and she knew it wasn't a good idea for her. She was looking at it with irritation when it flew right into her hand. After that, she practiced this gift a lot when cooking, packing and cleaning and managed to control it pretty easily. Her grandmother had explained to her it was because her body had been ready for her powers for a long time now so it all came naturally.

She was pretty confident she would be able to defend herself if she was to be attacked. She'd be able to hold her own against anyone.

Also she did found a few spells that seemed to be more fun, like to create a door, to make people say the truth, to view a past life, to erase a memory or attract men (she sure didn't need that one here…). She did considered casting the ' _To discourage a lover_ " on Mike Newton and was sure she would have done it on someone at some point if she had been forced to stay any longer in Forks. Also she figured this spell would have been useful to her during the past year on Tyler, Mike, Eric and even Jacob.

.

After digging in the book, Bella also found out that the La push Quileute tribe were shape-shifter. They had an entire page in the Book and the young witch decided to go and introduce herself officially as a witch. She went to see Billy Black with her grandmother.

"Bella, what are you doing here? Is Charlie okay?" He asked as he wheeled himself out of the house to meet her.

"Charlie is fine Billy. This is my grandmother and we would like to speak with you and the pack's alpha please." Bella replied, not wasting a minute.

"Pack's alpha? What are you talking about Bella?" Billy denied, trying to get out of this.

"Bella, maybe you should say something else to Billy to help him understand how we know." Isabelle suggested.

"Right. Grandma' s a witch… So am I." Bella told him, not trying to be subtle about it.

"A witch? You? Does Charlie know?" Billy asked her as he motioned for them to step inside.

"It's complicated. He was blessed enough to be born during a time where I didn't have to fight off demons all the time. He witnessed only a couple of attacks when he was a child and I erased his memories with a simple spell. But when he was a teenager, I decided to tell him everything when he fell in love with a Succubus demon, I killed the demon and he decided he'd rather not know the specifics. He left Mystic Fall's to get away from the supernatural, among other things." Isabelle explained.

"What about Bella, does he know she's a witch?" Billy asked.

"Yes, he knows Bella has inherited my gifts. He was going to send her to me this summer but since… Well, she's going to come with me to learn to control her magic now." Isabelle replied.

"Does he know about us?" Billy asked.

"No, he doesn't. But he knows there are some good supernatural beings in your reservation that makes everyone safer. I don't think he wants to know the specifics, unless it becomes necessary." The old woman replied.

"Okay… So why did you come exactly?" Billy asked.

"Well, your tribe's shape-shifters have a page in our Book of Shadows, which means our families has crossed path before. I just wanted you to know who I really was in case you ever need my help or I need yours. I want us to stay friendly if anything happens." Bella explained.

"Sam is patrolling for now but I will inform him of you gesture Bella. I'm sure we can stay on friendly terms, right?" Billy asked.

"Of course we can!" Bella and Isabelle nodded at once.

"Well, I'll tell Sam to come by your place and speak to you about it." Billy said.

"About that… I'm going to live with Grandma' in Mystic Falls, Virginia tomorrow so I'm giving you here the new address in case you need to come and find me personally along with the house phone number, my cell phone number and my email address." Bella replied as she handed a piece of paper to Billy.

"I better not let Jacob find this or he will get more ideas into his head." Billy replied with an amused smile.

"Yes, I think my little Bella doesn't need any more unwelcome admirers." Isabelle agreed, also amused.

"It's not my fault you know! I never had this kind of problems in Phoenix. I don't know why boys here like me so much." Bella complained while she rolled her eyes.

"Well, you're a very pretty girl Bella. You should know what the boys around La push say about you every time you come over to visit us." Billy joked, enjoying making fun of Bella with her grandmother.

The young woman was blushing. Billy added:

"Jacob should be home in less than 30 minutes…"

"Well, we better go, we still have some packing to do. No offence Billy, but I only see Jacob like a friend, nothing more." Bella declared before she waved goodbye at the native man and ran to the car, followed by her grandmother who was laughing.

.

Before they left the next day, Isabelle decided to drive Bella to the Cullen's house so she could get some closure and finally be able to move on. She had taken some paper and an envelope out of the bags in case Bella wanted to write them a goodbye letter and, until then, Isabelle watched as her granddaughter walked around the house and garage and started to get angry.

After a while, Bella must have reached a point when she couldn't hold it in anymore because she picked up a stone on the ground and threw it at the garage. The stone hit and broke a small window but a big part of the roof also exploded, flying back and landing somewhere in the forest in a big 'bang'.

Bella had the power of explosion.

It comforted Isabelle in her belief that Bella was the Swan witch of the prophecy. She'd be fine, she'd be able to keep herself safe, she wouldn't have to depend on others.

After that, Bella let herself go and ended up destroying most of the garage along with most of the windows of the house. The walls of the house were more solid than the garage but Bella managed to cause some serious damages here and there.

"Are you feeling better now?" The elder witch asked as she stood against her car, playing it cool like Damon Salvatore, a dear family friend, had taught her a long time ago.

"Much better yes, but now I feel bad about the damages I caused." Bella frowned.

"Why don't you leave them a letter where you explain everything to them?" She suggested, handing the block of paper to Bella.

"Good idea." Bella grabbed the block of paper along with a pen and started writing down what she had yelled at them in her head a hundred times before:

" _Dear Cullen's,_

 _First of all, I'm sorry about the damages I've cause to your house and the garage but you all leaving me made me very mad and since I came to my powers…. Right, you don't know!_

 _I'm a witch._

 _Well, you probably don't care since you left me without a goodbye._

 _Anyway, I had to take out the anger you brought out in me on something, I decided on something that was yours and it helped, I do feel a little better._

 _I'm really mad at you for leaving me behind, for giving me the feeling you were just using me to feel more human, for making me feel worthless…_

 _Shame on you all!_

 _I wanted all of you to know how much you leaving me without saying good bye hurt me. Edward breaking up with me was hard but I could have gone through it much easier if I still had my best friend with me._

 _Alice,_

 _Can you honestly tell me you didn't see the paper cut coming? Why you would want to risk hurting Jasper with this guilt I have no idea but I know now that you weren't being very truthful with me._

 _Maybe everyone else was in on it, maybe you're using them too…_

 _All I know is that one day, you'll understand why they say that_ _'Karma is a bitch'_ _._

 _I trusted you. You were my sister. It hurts. I hope you're happy now._

 _Carlisle, Esmee,_

 _You hurt me a lot too._

 _You were supposed to be my surrogate parents. You said you loved me like a daughter and I did love you as if you were my parents. You made me feel part of your family only to break me later. Who does that?_

 _You should be ashamed of yourselves!_

 _Don't come with the excuse of a clean break or of Edward asking you !_

 _I thought you at least would have come to say good bye, but maybe you're not the people I thought you were._

 _Rosalie,_

 _I'm not mad at you and you're the only one who didn't hurt me by leaving. You always made it clear that you didn't like me and I can't be mad at you for that, even if you never really gave me your reason, it was your choice and if Edward and Alice thought me something, is the value of free will._

 _Also now I have the power to grant you what you desire the most: Being human again (If Edward wasn't lying)._

 _Well, since you never lied to me, if you manage to find me and ask nicely, I might grant you your wish. I'll start looking into it as soon as I'm settled in my new home._

 _Jasper,_

 _Please don't feel bad about what happened, it's not you I'm mad at._

 _Just like Rosalie, if you come and find me, I might be able to find a way to help you with your bloodlust control._

 _After all, it comes because of your gift, I can help you with that I'm sure. After all, what's the point of having powers if I don't use them to help good people?_

 _Emmett,_

 _in the short time we spent together you became the big brother I kept asking my mother for when I was a kid and it's why your leaving without saying goodbye hurt me just as much as Edward's or Alice's._

 _What was I to you? A sister? A friend? Just a simple pet?_

 _Edward,_

 _It's hard writing to you how much you've hurt me because I don't think words can describe the pain I feel. The hole I feel in my heart every time something reminds me of you…_

 _I know I'll recover because I'm strong but I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive you for what you did to me._

 _Making decisions in the place of people is wrong._

 _You might think that you're better than other people, better than me…_

 _You're not!_

 _Taking people's free will away from them is never good and I hope you all learn that lesson some day, for your own sake._

 _I'm going to be around a while. According to an ancient prophecy maybe even forever._

 _Once again I'm really sorry for the damages I did to your house, I needed to let out my anger at you on something and we both know you can afford to fix the damages._

 _In the end, no matter how much you've hurt me with everything, I miss you and I know I won't be able to forget you any time soon, and even if I'm angry, I do hope you'll all have nice lives._

 _Maybe one day our paths will cross again and I'll be ready to face you, to forgive you._

 _Until then, have a nice life and please be careful, there is a whole dangerous world out there you don't know about._

 _Bella"_

As she wrote, Bella cried and she didn't pay attention as some of her tears dropped on the paper without damaging the ink. When she was done, she folded the paper and put it in the envelope. Her grandmother cast a small spell on it to protect it from time, weather or people. She also put a spell on it so it couldn't be hidden or kept from the rest of the Cullen just in case Alice saw it and took the letter first. It would be able to be destroyed only after the last of the Cullen had the opportunity to read it or hear its content.

"You really think it's necessary?" Bella asked her grandmother as the woman put the spell to ensure the letter couldn't be hidden by only one member.

"I have a bad feeling about this Alice you told me about and I think this is necessary to keep her from keeping this letter from the others." She explained.

"You're right." Bella nodded.

After that, they both jumped back in the car and this time, they hit the road for their journey to Mystic Falls.

.

They were on the road for 4 days, taking their time to get there. Isabelle had it all planned out and she even knew when they would arrive in destination. She had planned their nights in motels and where they would eat. Nothing was left to chance.

When she wasn't driving, Bella had the Book of Shadow in her lap and she studied it, reading it from front to cover to know as much as possible and be able to find specific things easier.

"Grandma, something has been bothering me a little for the past few days…" Bella started as they had been on the road for only a couple of hours.

"What is it?"

"You said I was to be the last Swan witch. I know I don't have cousins but don't we have far away relatives that have powers also?" She asked.

"Of course we do, but what I meant by that is that you will be the last Matriarch of this family. You might have children later too, but none of them will be as powerful as you."

"How can I have children if I'm going to be a vampire?"

"Everything will make sense in time Bella. Don't think too much about it. Prophecies are often made to guide us, but when we obsess too much about it we risk missing out on what's important." The elder witch told the younger one.

Then Isabelle proceeded to inform Bella of the supernatural beings of Mystic Falls, their names, their history… She wanted Bella to be prepared for anything. She told her of the Lockwood's werewolf line and how to activate it, everything.

"Then you have Elena Gilbert, she's a junior this year, you'll be a year above her, right? Well, she is a Petrova doppelganger, they have a page in the book."

"Yes, I remember reading it, something about Silas, his lover Amara and the woman he betrayed… Is she in the innocent category or not?" Bella trusted her grandmother completely and she believed her judgment was the right one, she, after all, had more experience than her.

"She is innocent for now, but every other Petrova doppelganger turned out evil so I don't know how long she will be able to stay innocent."

"Maybe she's still innocent because the last doppelganger still exists." Bella suggested.

"That's actually not a bad idea. Anyway, the Bennett women are witches but the other kind."

"They're slaves of nature then?"

"Yes, but they think they are all powerful. They have no idea of our existing and what we can do. Also the council does, we work with them and help them. They know not to fear our family and that we only want to protect innocents. I'll take you with me to the next council meeting."

"Cool." Bella replied.

"Then I need to tell you about the Salvatore brothers, Stefan and Damon."

"Oh, yes, I've read about them in the book." Bella exclaimed.

"Then you know everything until they came back to town. Both of them have been close friends of our family ever since our ancestor met them when the town was founded. They are both starting to make peace with each other. You need to know that they are both very good friends of mine, Stefan was even named my Godfather by my mother. Damon is just a friend but his destiny is somewhat intertwined with the destiny of our family, I told him of Katherine not being in the tomb and he is starting to get over her."

"It must be hard for Damon, I know how he must feel." Bella said with Edward's face in her mind.

"I know. That's why I invited the two of them to join us for dinner once we arrive. I would like you to be friends with them but I don't want you to feel forced into it by me or anyone."

"Don't worry grandma' I will give them a chance."

"They have always been close friends of our family. Be careful with Damon though, he can be…"

"Difficult? Dangerous? Temperamental?" Bella suggested with a half smile.

"Yes, all of those. Also he can be an ass just as easily as he can be a perfectly charming gentleman!" Isabelle chuckled as kept on driving and added: "But he keeps his promises and he takes good care of the people he loves, he promised me not to hurt you and to watch over you" Bella blushed.

"I don't need watching over Granny, I'm not 6!"

"Maybe not, but you are a danger magnet!" The elderly woman replied with a giggle as she watched her granddaughter blush some more.

The ' _Danger-magnet_ ' comment might hurt her because Edward called her that but she tried to keep in mind that her grandmother had given her that nickname a long time ago. It didn't have to be connected to Edward anymore.

The two of them kept on talking and every two hours they would stop to have a drink and a bite to eat in a local dinner and exchanged driver. They stopped to sleep just like Isabelle had planned and they didn't meet any problems on the road so far.

"I've already send your transcript to Mystic Fall's high and I'm sure you'll be glad to know you won't have to take PE." Isabelle commented as they were almost there.

"That's great! Hey, how will I drive myself to school?" Bella asked.

"Well, about that, Stefan will drive you the first few days. It will give us time to shop around for a car for you."

"I don't want you to have to cut on your personal money to buy me a car… I'm sure I can walk."

"Don't worry about it Bella, it's going to be yours someday anyway. We are a founding family in this town. We have a lot of money and some of it hasn't been touched for the past few generations. We will be able to buy you a new car without denting the account." Isabelle replied with a smile as she parked the car in front of the last dinner they would take a break in before arriving home.

* * *

 **Not much changed in this chapter, only small add ups. The big changes are coming later.**

 **Leave me a little review please. I'd like to know what you think, whether you're discovering this story or if you had already read the first version.**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2:_

They arrived in Mystic Falls earlier that Isabelle had planned, around 9 in the morning. There had been very few people on the road with them and they had been able to be faster than expected, especially since their last break had been much shorter than planned due to a very smelly couple that had sat at the table right next to theirs. The smell had been enough to deprive Bella and her grandmother of their hunger and they went back on the road immediately.

The house was pretty big and isolated, surrounded by woods in the back and on one side, with the street further away thanks to a long driveway. They didn't have close neighbor, which had been a good thing the few times Isabelle had had to fight demons in her own house. It was obvious that it was a very old house that had been upgraded and enlarged over the years. You could easily guess how the initial house was and where it stopped and how it had been enlarged over time. Bella guessed that the two garages used to be small barns or other out houses like that once.

Bella could see herself being happy there, it felt more like home than any of the other places she stayed at. More than their house in Phoenix, more than her father's house, more than the Cullen's house. For a moment, she thought of Esmee and how much she would like this house but shook her head quickly and looked around some more.

It was peaceful.

She would be able to heal her heart here, she knew it. Already she felt like she belonged here, like this was where she had been supposed to be all along. Like finally, the world around her fit and made sense.

Isabelle showed her granddaughter the big garden with all kind of herbs she might need for potions. She told her she stocked some for later when she didn't use them right away. In case of ferocious bugs in the garden or of especially bad weather, having some of the rarest and hardest to grow herbs stored away was a good thing.

Then she showed her the basement with a holding cell (for bad supernatural creatures) and stocked wines, herbs and vegetables. After that she showed her the upstairs, with all the bedrooms and bathrooms. Beside the basement and the first floor, there were two other floors and an attic which covered the entire house and was stocked with old clothes, pictures and memories of the Swan family over the centuries.

"On the shelf over there you'll find the collection of journals written by our family. Reading them will inform you on the family and town history." Isabelle commented as she pointed to a side of the attic where a huge book shelf was full of journals.

In front of it, there were a few wooden boxes and Bella wondered if they were filled with more journals or with other souvenirs from her ancestors.

"Isn't reading them violating people's privacy?" Bella asked, worried.

"Not if they were written for that purpose, Bella. They wrote them so their descendant could know our version of history, not the official one." The old woman explained.

"Because history is written by rich people and people in power, and by men. The official version we learn about in school is tainted. This one will be truer." Bella guessed with a smile.

"Exactly Sweet, you understand it well."

"All of this is since 1864?" Bella asked.

"Yes, on the shelf they go up to 1864. If you want to read before that you have these boxes. I think it goes back to the 10th century, maybe even before that, I never got around to reading them all. Some of them are quite hard to read because of the language it's written in or of the handwriting but with a little spell it's always easier." She explained.

"I might take to reading those at night instead of the classics I already know by heart. My copy of Weathering Heights is falling apart." Bella replied before they left the attic.

Belle promised herself she would come back soon to snoop around and pick some of the journals as she followed her grandmother down the stairs. She also couldn't wait to watch the old photo albums. She wondered if she'd be able to see ancestors that looked like her. Maybe she'd see her eyes or smile on some of their faces.

"I thought you'd like to have this room, you have a small balcony all to yourself, your own bathroom and some independence. I set the room right next door so you can do anything magic in it, even potions, it's locked so only you or I can open it." Isabelle explained as she showed Bella the third floor.

Her own room was on the second floor but she wanted Bella to have some independence so she had that floor all to herself.

"Thank you grandma." Bella replied, grateful for the privacy her grandmother was giving her.

"You take your time to unpack. I'll get some lunch ready later and call you then." Isabelle told her before she left the room.

The rest of the morning went by pretty fast. Bella took a small nap before she got to put her things away and started to sort her bedroom the way she wanted it to be. When she was called for lunch, she ate a couple of sandwiches with her grandmother and went back in her room to put the rest of her things away, making this new bedroom hers.

.

When Bella saw that it was 5 pm, she took a shower and changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt she liked and went down to help her grandmother make dinner for them and their vampire guests.

"Will they come alone or with someone?" Bella asked as she set the table.

"They will come alone. Stefan wanted to bring Elena but I asked him not to, not today." She replied.

"You look relieved." Bella observed.

"Yes, Elena Gilbert might not be evil yet but I can't help but feel uneasy around her. I don't want her to hurt Stefan and I feel that eventually, she will."

"Do you think it's some kind of magical warning?"

"I don't know. It's possible…" Isabelle admitted as she opened a bottle of wine for her, Damon and Stefan.

"What is it you really think?" Bella asked her grandmother.

"I think that it doesn't matter what she is like now or what she wants to be like. She will end up playing two brothers against each other just like other doppelgangers of the Petrova line have done before her. Tatia played the original vampires Elijah and Klaus, Katherine played both original vampire brothers and Salvatore brothers… Elena is already with Stefan and somehow tries to have attention from Damon who seems to have feelings for her but refuses to admit it. I think it's in her nature."

"Wow… I never heard you not liking someone so strongly before Grandma'. I'll try to give her a chance though. Everyone can change, even a Petrova doppelganger." Bella smiled as she finished setting the table.

A few minutes later, Isabelle decided it would be best to warn Bella right away:

"Remember Bella, Damon can be charming and a perfect gentleman but he can also be an ass. Be careful before you let yourself fall for his charm, always be on your guard around him. He's a friend but around the ladies he tends to forget that he was raised to be a gentleman." Isabella warned her granddaughter one last time.

"Don't worry Grandma', I'll be careful." Bella nodded with a smile.

Hearing her grandmother call Damon an " _Ass_ " was quite funny for her.

Bella turned around and went back to the dining room to check if everything was done and Isabelle went to the cupboard on top of the fridge and grabbed a pill bottle. After making sure Bella couldn't see her, she swallowed a couple of them and put them back in place before grabbing a second bottle from which she took 1 pill. Closing the cupboard, she sighted. She would have to talk with Bella sometime soon but she didn't know how to do it. This kind of things was never easy.

.

When the doorbell rang, everything was ready and Bella was excited to finally meet the two vampire brothers who had been such good friends of her family ever since the foundation of the town. It was weird to know that they had been present when her grandmother was born and that they hadn't changed since but she was used to it with the Cullen's.

"Damon, Stefan, come on in." Isabelle greeted as soon as she opened the door.

"How are you doing Is?" Stefan asked as he kissed the old woman's cheek like an uncle did his niece.

"I'm fine. Hello Damon, I trust all is well for you?" She answered as she turned to the other brother.

"Hello Is, I'm fine. Now, where is your granddaughter?" Damon asked with his trademark smirk.

Just then, Bella shyly came in the hall to great the two men.

"Bella, I'd like you to meet Damon and Stefan Salvatore. Stefan, Damon, this is Isabella, but she likes to be called Bella." Isabella introduced them.

"Nice to meet you Bella, I'm sure we'll get along well. I've heard a lot of good things about you." Stefan said nicely as he shook her hand.

" _Bella_ indeed… You have a very fitting name sweet Bella. I'm positively charmed." Damon complimented before he kissed her hand softly with a flirting smile in place.

"Nice to meet you." Bella replied to Stefan before she turned toward Damon: "Nice to meet you Damon. Does this flirty smile of yours usually work?"

Isabelle and Stefan smirked. Damon looked taken aback for a while but he caught himself and said with a smirk:

"It does. Are you feeling my charm working its way into your heart?"

"Oh is that what it was? Your charm? Sorry, I didn't recognize it! Oh well, better luck next time." Bella replied with a sorry smile as she led the way to the dining room, followed by a chuckling Stefan and Isabelle.

"So Bella, won't you miss Forks?" Stefan asked.

Bella looked down and replied quietly:

"No, not really, I'm more of a sun person."

"It's not the whole truth though." Damon guessed.

"It's a long story." Bella replied.

"We have time." Damon added.

"It's just, you know, heartbreak, realizing one day that the person you loved more than your own life was just using you and never really loved you." Bella stated softly, trying to keep the pain in, not to show it.

She knew that she could trust the brothers because of how close they were to her grandmother but she didn't know if she was ready to talk about it more yet. Just thinking about it made her want to cry. It didn't hurt as much as it used to but it still hurt some and she didn't want their first impression of her to be of her crying over some boy who left her. She wanted to be stronger than that.

"Yes, I believe I know how that feels, too." Damon agreed softly while they all took their seats.

They spent the next couple of hours talking about everything, getting to know each other and Bella was starting to really like the two brothers. Damon was being perfectly charming and Bella was amused by his constant flirting. It seemed to be a second nature to him, something he did just as easily as breathing. Stefan promised Bella that he would pick her up the next morning for school and to show her around a bit, so she didn't get lost on her first day. They even exchanged phone numbers and Damon, not wanting to be left out, gave her his and copied hers from Stefan's phone.

"Oh, Damon, I think I should warn you, I've put a shielding spell on Bella's bedroom. You won't be able to enter it until she invites you." Isabelle told the vampire as he helped her put the left over away.

Bella was in the dining room with Stefan, talking about the next day of school and couldn't hear their conversation about her.

"It's not like I do this kind of things all the time, you know I can be reasonable when I care." Damon complained but when he saw Isabelle's doubtful eyes, he sighted: "Fine, I'll behave myself." He promised.

"She's been really hurt by the Cullen's, Damon. Don't rush her into anything. She needs to heal and believe in herself once more before she can be with anyone else." She reminded him before they both went back to the dining table with the desserts.

"What have we missed?" Damon asked as he took his seat next to Bella.

"Stefan was telling me of Lexi and how you killed her to get the council off your back." Bella replied with a small glare.

"Hey, I said I was sorry!" Damon exclaimed.

"It's not enough. You killed his best friend! She was the only person who helped him through his dark periods!" Bella exclaimed back.

"It's not true, I could have helped! And your ancestors have helped him too." Damon replied smartly while Stefan and Isabelle sat back and enjoyed the show they were provided.

"It's not a reason. You can't just kill someone important to your only brother and expect him to let it go with a simple ' _hey, I'm sorry, let's go have a drink!_ ' It's just not done!" Bella replied with a raised voice.

"Well, what was I supposed to say?" Damon asked her with a raised voice, just like Bella.

"What would you have expected to hear from Stefan if he had been the one to kill YOUR best friend?" Bella shouted.

"Okay, I think it's time for me to break this screaming match." Isabelle intervened as she handed both Bella and Damon their desserts.

"As I was saying before, Stefan, I think I can do a spell and try to contact Lexi's spirit so you can say your goodbyes." Bella offered.

"Right, I forgot about that spell." Isabelle nodded.

"Thank you Bella, I would love that." Stefan answered.

"Hey Is, why don't you do magic anymore?" Damon asked, bringing all the attention to the old witch.

"Oh, I still do magic, just not as much as I was used to."

It was the subject the elderly woman would have liked to avoid for as long as possible, both with Bella or the Salvatore brothers. She wasn't ready to tell them everything yet.

"Why is that?" Bella asked.

"Because I was cursed by an evil warlock a few years ago, I managed to destroy him and usually that breaks the spells they cast but it didn't break this curse. If I use too heavy spells I get tired. It could end up killing me so I've learned to live without magic." She explained, hoping they bought this shortened and slightly shortened version of the story.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" Bella asked, feeling there was more to it than what her grandmother just told them.

"Because you have enough on your mind Sweet Bell. Don't worry, I'm fine about it." She replied with a soft smile.

"Is there anything I can do? Can I break the curse?" Bella asked with her eyes full with worry.

"No, there isn't Bells, but don't worry, I'm fine with it." She replied softly.

"Does it mean you're going to die soon?" Stefan asked, worried for his Godchild.

Bella's head shot right up and she looked really worried. Isabelle looked down.

"Eventually we all die." The old witch replied.

"Don't play around with us Is. Tell us the truth!" Damon demanded in a hard voice.

He would never admit it but he liked the Swan women a lot, and not only because they're women but because they all ended up being his friends. They were among the few people he actually cared about in his life, the few people who got him and didn't try to change him. They all accepted him just the way he was.

"Yes, I will live a little less time than I could have. It's mainly why I wanted you to come here Bella. I wanted to make sure I had enough time to train you and tell you everything you needed to know before it was too late. I wanted to make sure you knew Stefan and Damon so they could protect you and take care of you after I'm gone." She replied and when she noticed Bella tearing up she said:

"Don't cry Bella, I'm fine with it and I will never leave you completely, I'll only be a small spell away from you anytime you need me." Isabelle promised hugging Bella.

"I don't buy that crap Is!" Damon shook his head.

"Damon!" Stefan scolded him and both women turned toward him.

"What? If I've learn anything from you Swan's is that if magic did it, it can also undo it. So why don't you undo it?" Damon replied, making understanding dawned on both Stefan and Bella.

"Grandma'?" Bella asked.

Isabelle looked guilty and stood up.

"I didn't mean to lie. The spell story is true, but it got lifted… Only I kept being tired and sick afterwards, so I talked with Meredith Fell, the doctor and she did some tests. I have a heart condition. Not curable, not operable. All she could give me was some pills to calm the pain and help me hold on for as long as I can." She explained.

"Why didn't you ask me for some blood?" Damon and Stefan asked in one voice.

"Because Meredith had some vampire blood stored away and gave it to me. It didn't change anything. There is only so much vampire blood can do for someone." she explained.

"How is it possible? Why doesn't it cure you?" Stefan asked, curious and worried.

"Because I'm old, and maybe because it's not meant to be, or maybe I've been cursed so vampire blood didn't cure me. There could be a hundred explanations and I've decided to ignore every single one of them. I've accepted my fate." Isabelle replied seriously.

"If it's a spell there is something that can be done about it." Damon argued.

"I tried with a few friends of mine, I even tried calling an healing angel, since it's not a supernatural injury, there was nothing he could do for me. I've accepted it." Isabelle repeated calmly.

"So you're dying and there is nothing we can do to help?" Bella asked in a tearful voice.

"The only thing you can do for me is live your life the way you want to, be happy and be fair. I'm already proud of whom you've become Sweet Bell. Nothing could make me happier than knowing you'll be happy once I leave this world." Isabelle hugged her granddaughter and Stefan said:

"You talk about it like it's a big trip."

"It's how I see it. Another big travel to a land where I'll rejoin with my ancestors and friends who passed away before me." She replied as she hugged a sobbing Bella close to her sick heart.

When Bella had calmed down and they had finished eating their desserts, everyone was a little cheerful, thanks to Damon who had let out a few jokes to make Bella smile once more. He didn't know why but he really didn't like to see her cry. If he always had the urge to protect the Swan women, he never felt like this for any of them. He knew it wasn't love, that much was sure for him because he knew love and how it felt like. This wasn't it, but what was it?

"Well, why don't we go upstairs, I'll call Lexi." Bella suggested as Stefan, Isabelle and Damon followed her up the stairs and into the room where the Book of Shadows was set up along with a stock of candles and other witchy things.

Bella walked to the book and turned the pages until she found the right one. While she did that Isabelle grabbed the necessary 9 big white candles and placed them in circles. Bella stood in front of the book and recited:

" _Hear this words, hear my cry; spirit from the other side. Come to me, I summon thee, cross now the great divide._ "

Bella didn't know what to expect but as soon as she was done saying the words, thinking of Lexi, a beautiful blond girl appeared inside the circle of candles.

"Lexi!" Stefan exclaimed, surprised it worked.

He didn't know what he was expecting but even if he knew that he had come up to see Lexi, seeing her, for the first time since she died, was a surprise to him.

"Hello Stefan, I'm glad to know you're doing okay." The blond girl replied with a soft friendly smile before she looked around the room.

When she spotted Damon, her face grew serious again and he stepped up.

"Lexi… I'm sorry for, you know, killing you." Damon told her sincerely.

"I know you are. It's okay, I understand now that I had it coming after what I forced you to do back in Atlanta, and later when I found you in New York." she replied softly before she turned back to Stefan.

"What happened in Atlanta and in New York? What are you talking about?" Stefan asked.

"Nothing, it's all in the past now. No need to bring it up." Damon replied, shaking his head and brushing it off lightly.

"Maybe we should leave you two together for a while. You have a lot of catching up to do." Bella suggested before everyone left the room and went back downstairs.

They all went in the living room where Damon was telling stories of his childhood and it's only an hour later that Stefan came down. He kissed Bella on the cheek before seating down next to Isabelle.

"Everything went okay?" Bella asked him.

"Yes, thank you so much! She said you could call her anytime, especially if I go back to human blood crazy Stefan." He nodded before they went back to talking some more.

Around 11 pm, Isabelle looked at the clock and said:

"It's getting late and Bella has school tomorrow."

"You're right Is, we should go. Bella, I'll be there on time to pick you up tomorrow." Stefan assured her before he rose from his seat.

"Thank you Stefan." Bella replied as she shook his hand.

Damon rose as well from his seat and walked toward Bella:

"Pretty Bella, I'll wait for you after school tomorrow and I'll show you around town."

"I didn't know we were supposed to meet tomorrow." Bella replied.

"Well, someone has to show you around town and Saint Stefan is too boring for you to enjoy it. He doesn't know the good places. Plus, he'll be busy with Elena." Damon winked, making Isabelle and Bella chuckle while Stefan rolled his eyes.

"Okay then." Bella agreed.

"Damon, remember to bring Bella with you at the Founder's council meeting tomorrow afternoon, I told them I would introduce her to them." The old woman reminded him.

"Of course I will." Damon promised as they all walked to the door.

They exchanged goodbyes and after saying goodnight to her grandmother, Bella went in her room to get some sleep.

.

"Damon, can I ask you something?" Stefan asked his brother as soon as they were back home, before they even took their jackets off.

"Sure, what's up Little bro'?" Damon replied, pouring them two glasses of bourbon.

His mood was high. Despite the fact that he was sad about Isabelle, he was happy to have met Bella. He could feel that the young witch was about to change everything in all of their lives, that she'd give them all a new direction and that she'd be their ray of sunshine. He felt a real change coming and he wasn't afraid one bit because he knew that he'd be on the right side of this change.

"What happened between you and Lexi in Atlanta and in New York?" Stefan asked, not willing to beat about the bush.

He wanted an answer, he wanted to know why Lexi had told him that now she knew that she had been asking for it, she had been too harsh on her judgment of Damon and that she had acted wrongly towards him.

"What did Lexi tell you?"

"Nothing, she changed the subject and I never brought it up again. All she said was that she screwed up with you, that she had been wrong and that she and I didn't give you enough credit, that you were better than she thought." Stefan shook his head.

"It's in the past Stefan." Damon replied.

"Damon, I want us to get along, to be close again, like we used to be back before 1864, and I know we're well on our way but we need to be honest with each other in order for it to work and last." Stefan reminded his big brother.

"Always the wise one Stefan." Damon declared before he toasted.

"So? Atlanta? New York?" Stefan insisted.

"You're sure you want to know and that you won't regret it?" Damon asked.

"I'm sure Damon." Stefan assured him, sitting in front of his brother.

"Atlanta, that was right before you left for the war, remember? I had a girl with me, Charlotte."

"I remember that she was a bit crazy and that you never showed up at the train station like you said you would." Stefan nodded.

"Charlotte was sired to me and a witch told me that in order to break the sire bond and give her back her freedom, I had to do something, sacrifice 12 humans. I broke into a jail and killed 12 people there, believing that the witch would keep her word and break Charlotte's sire bond. She lied and used the power from the sacrifice, dark power, for something else, something she wanted for herself. That morning, when I came to the train station to join you, after asking Charlotte to count all the bricks of the town until I came back, Lexi stopped me and threatened to kill me if I tried to come with you, saying that I'd be a bad influence on you and that I'd spoil your hard work to get clean. She was so sure that you'd be better off without me, and let's be honest, she seemed to know you better than I did. I wasn't exactly a good brother to you back then. I was angry at her but I listened to her, trying to convince myself that she was right, that letting you down was what was best for you."

"You sacrificed your own happiness for me?" Stefan asked, shocked.

"Of course, you're my baby brother." Damon smiled.

"I'm sorry, Lexi was wrong. I think we would have helped each other."

"So do I but it doesn't matter, we're here now. Let's try to leave the past in the past whenever we can." Damon replied, knowing that some parts of their past, like Katherine, wouldn't stay in the past without a good fight.

"What about New York? What happened there?"

It couldn't have been the same kind of experience since Stefan didn't remember being in New York around that time. He didn't have any missing memories either, he remembered these years perfectly so he couldn't have been involved in what had happened between his big brother and his best friend.

"Why don't we keep this for another time? Maybe a stormy night, it would suit this story perfectly." Damon suggested.

He didn't want to share this story with his brother, he didn't want to have to tell him why he had turned his emotions off, he didn't want to risk his brother feeling guilty about what he had had to go through.

"Why?" Stefan asked curiously.

"In order for you to understand what happened in New York and why I did what I did, which would also tell you why I didn't think twice about killing our nephew, I'd have to take you back years before that and down a path that's not a happy one." Damon warned him.

"I think this discussion is long overdue Damon. I'm here now, ready to listen. Please tell me." Stefan begged his brother and so Damon opened up and told his brother everything.

He told him how Zack's father had called him back in town, pretending that Stefan was in danger only to have him poisoned with vervain and imprisoned to be nothing more than a lab rat for a small group of crazy scientists. He told him how he made friend with one of the other vampires there, Enzo, and how they had bounded over the years. He made sure to let his brother know how he was weak and how his anger grew over time, at the scientists but also at Stefan for not noticing that he was gone and that he was in trouble when he, himself, had always had an eye out for his little brother. He told his brother of the different experiments he was a part of and how painful it was. He told Stefan how, sometimes, he wished to be simply dead and of the escape plan he made with Enzo. He told him how the plan backfired and he was forced to turn his emotions off to save his own life, leaving Enzo behind to die in the flames. He even told his brother how he got revenge on the families of the people that experimented him and Enzo, and probably on multiple other vampires.

Then Damon told him of New York, what he did without his emotions and how Lexi found him and bugged him for months, pestering him to turn his emotions back on and trying to change him into a second version of Stefan.

"I just couldn't listen to her, I held her partially responsible for what happened to me because she forced me away from you, so I pretended that I was falling for her and we had sex on the roof of the bar I always hung out at. When morning came, she was alone in the sun, with a few inches of shadow only, while I left. Maybe anger is the first emotion I got back, all I know is that having her here again reminded me of all that and I just wanted to kill two birds with one stone." Damon finished.

"I'm so sorry brother... If only I had known..." Stefan shook his head, devastated to learn what Damon had been forced to go through without him.

"It's in the past now." Damon replied, standing up to get another bottle of Bourbon.

"I think that we both know that it's still bothering you Damon. Have you ever tried to go back to that place, to stop them from doing this to anyone else?" Stefan asked him.

"No, I wanted to, I've thought about it but I never did. I don't really want to do any of this, not alone." Damon shook his head.

"You don't have to go through this alone now. I'll go with you. Why don't we do this together? Research these people and what they do, if they still do it then we attack and make sure they never do anything like this ever again. What do you say brother?" Stefan suggested.

"It could be dangerous Stefan, we could get caught." Damon warned him.

"Then we take Bella with us."

"Are you really willing to come with me to do this, knowing that I won't hesitate to kill any human that works there?" Damon asked him.

"I am, Damon. I failed you all these years ago but I won't fail you again. I'll stand by you. I'll help you destroy them." Stefan insisted.

"Thank you Stefan. Let's plan this for this weekend, see if Bella is willing to come with us on this." Damon nodded and gave his brother a smile he hadn't seen since before Katherine entered their lives.

They stayed together in the room a few more minutes, both thoughtful until Damon declared:

"I'm not sure I want Bella mixed up into this, Stefan. If words get out that witches exist because she helped us, I wouldn't forgive myself."

"I was thinking the same thing, she could get hurt because of us, we should do this alone." Stefan replied.

"I think we should do this now, when we agree on things. Plus it's the middle of the night, everything will be empty. There'll be less risk of us getting caught." Damon replied.

"You want to go now?" Stefan asked him, standing up.

"Why not? We can call Anna and Pearl for help, surely they'd be in to help us get rid of humans who experiment on Vampires." Damon replied.

"We could go with what's left of the tomb vampires, call a temporary truce with them for this. Let's go." Stefan nodded.

Determined, it didn't take long to the two Salvatore brothers to convince Pearl, Anna and the restless tomb vampires to go along with them and to work together for this occasion. They arrived like a small army and discreetly entered the building that Damon recognized. He wasn't surprised at how easy it was for him to find his way back because he had thought about this moments of his past so often during the past few years that he probably knew it more than before. He didn't count the number of times he had researched the campus and its members in the eventuality that he'd go back to destroy them all and now that it was here, finally, he was ready.

They quickly found the labs and started destroying everything around them until Damon stopped with a small vial of blood in his hand.

"What is it Damon?" Stefan asked him.

"This is fresh blood and it's Enzo's number." He replied.

"He's still alive?" Stefan asked.

"Apparently. You guys can leave when you're done here, we'll be fine in the cells." Damon told the other vampires before he and his brothers took what he remembered as being the direction of the cells.

On the way, they passed a human guard and instead of killing him, Damon kept him alive as a peace offering for his old friend, in hopes that he'd find it in him to forgive his deserting friend.

"Enzo?" Damon called out as he rushed to the cell.

"Damon? A little late, aren't you?" Enzo asked him a little harshly.

"I thought you were dead, I'm sorry... I thought that I couldn't find a way to save you that night. I had to turn my emotions off to be able to leave you. Had I known or simply even thought that you could have survived, I would have been there immediately to break you out." Damon replied, opening the cell with the keys he had found and handing the unconscious guard to his old friend.

"Well, at least you got your brother back, I can see how I'd be less of a priority." Enzo frowned, eyeing Stefan jealously.

"Our reunion just happened, I'll explain everything later, I promise." Damon replied.

"Is there anything else we need to destroy before we go?" Stefan asked.

"I think we should simply create a gas leak and cause an accidental explosion, get rid of everything. This way, even if a few member survive, they won't have the mean to start everything over." Damon suggested and Stefan nodded.

Enzo finished the guard and followed Damon and his brother out, watching as they destroyed his old prison before they drove him back to their house. Once back in the Boarding House, Stefan left the two old friends to bond and went in his bedroom to sleep a little before he had to go to school in the morning.

Damon and Enzo stayed up the entire night, talking, apologizing and bonding. By the time morning came, Damon and Enzo were back on good terms but Enzo declined their offer to stay with them. He decided to leave and go see the world instead. He wanted to catch up on this world he had missed but promised to stay in touch and to come back once in a while.

Before Enzo left, Damon gave him a disposable cellphone he had and warned him not to harm anyone in this town before he left, planning on going to Europe for a while. Then, Damon went to get ready for bed, planning on sleeping a few hours while Stefan was at school but before he laid in his bed, Damon sent a text message to Bella, wishing her a good day. He wanted her to think about him.

She might never know about everything he did, he wasn't sure he wanted her to know what he had done during the night, but he wanted her to be at least his friend, if not more and he was willing to work for it.

* * *

 **What do you think of the last scene I added? It wasn't in the original version but I felt that it was important to include it in.**

 **Be honest please.**

 **Review?**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3:_

When she woke up the next morning to the sound of her alarm, Bella was feeling well rested and ready to be, once more, the new girl at school. She just hoped she'd be less popular with the boys than she was in Forks. She hated being the shiny new toy. She'd be just fine in the shadows, it was the place where she felt in her place, when nobody noticed her. If only she could cast a spell to make sure people didn't notice her, she would but it would be to serve herself and she'd have to suffer consequences. She couldn't use her magic for her simple comfort. She's simply have to endure it.

Sighting, she got out of bed and jumped in the shower, hoping for a good first day. Once in the kitchen Bella was greeted by her grandmother, still in her nightgown, who had prepared her a big breakfast. It was a nice change from what Bella had been used to when she lived with her father. Someone was cooking for her! She couldn't remember the last time someone who wasn't a Cullen did that.

"How did you sleep Sweet Bell?" She asked when the younger woman sat down.

"Pretty well, I'm a little nervous for today but I'm fine. How are you doing?" Bella asked her grandmother with worried eyes.

"I'm fine Bella, as long as I take my medicine I'll be fine for the next few months, maybe even years if I'm lucky. Don't worry too much about me, I still have a few more good years to spend with you." Isabelle told the younger witch, doing her best to reassure her.

Bella sighted, knowing her grandmother was just as stubborn as she was herself and that she wouldn't be able to get her to admit anything she didn't want to admit. Going back to her breakfast, Bella tried to forget about her nerves and succeeded until she received a text-message from Damon saying:

" **Good luck on your first day of school in Mystic Falls"**. She rolled her eyes and replied with a **"Thanks "**.

Before she could see time passing by, Stefan was at the door, ready to drive her to school. Her grandmother gave her some lunch money, wished her a good day and told her she would see her later at the founder's council.

"You look nervous." Stefan noted.

"Yes, I hope everything will go well." Bella nodded.

"Don't worry, I'm sure everything will be fine. I'll see you at lunch and you'll make friends fast." He reassured her.

"Grandma told me the most important things about everyone but could you update me?" Bella asked.

"Of course. Alaric, the history teacher, is a vampire hunter. His ex wife is Elena's birth mother and was turned by Damon a few years ago." He started.

"Does Elena know?"

"Yes, she found out a couple of days ago. Bonnie is mad at us because the tomb vampires are out and because her grandmother died getting them out. She thinks it's our fault. She's been practicing her magic a lot since." Stefan explained.

"Her grandmother died for the same reason witches of their sort keep dying so young. She thought she was all powerful and didn't think of channeling the power of the moon or something else to be stronger." Bella replied, repeating what her grandmother told her.

"I agree, but Bonnie has a hard time seeing that and is currently mad at all of us, Elena included."

"It probably won't last long. Grandma' told me Elena, Caroline and Bonnie have been best friends for a long time."

"I know. Anyway, Caroline won Miss Mystic Falls a couple of weeks ago and they are all starting to speak again. About that, I know Isabelle doesn't trust Elena because she is a Petrova doppelganger but…" Stefan started.

"Don't worry, I will give her a chance. I have a theory about that." Bella started.

"A theory?" He questioned.

"Yes, I think maybe Elena isn't as evil and bitchy as Tatia and Katerina were because Katherine is still alive, if it is some kind of spirit or soul transferring, maybe Elena didn't get it all completely because Katherine still had hers. So she is a doppelganger physically but not mentally."

"Not bad, it could make sense…"

"Or maybe she's just too young to be as much of a bitch as Katherine is yet. Maybe it will come later on." Bella added with a smile.

"You'll excuse me if I ignore your second idea and keep praying for the first one right?" He chuckled.

"Of course! By the way, is Elena okay with you picking me up?" Bella asked softly.

"Yes, she is. She understands that you are family and that family comes first." He answered.

"Speaking of family, Grandma' told me that Jeremy, Elena's brother, was dating Anna, one of the vampires responsible for your kidnapping and resulted in you feeding on human blood…" Bella started, not really asking anything but waiting for his reply anyway.

"Well, she wasn't directly responsible but yes, they are dating."

"Is Elena okay with this?"

"Not really, neither is Pearl, Anna's mother." Stefan informed her.

"It mustn't be too easy for them. Do you think they really love each others?"

"I know Jeremy really loves her and I think Anna tried to fight her feelings for him for a while because he was a Gilbert but gave up. I've watched her fighting her feelings for him and doing her best to hide it from her mother." Stefan explained.

"Maybe I'll try to help them out then, I'll have to make up my mind. What does anyone know about me?" She asked.

"They know you are Bella Swan, founder's descendant back in town. Elena, Caroline, Alaric, Matt, Tyler, Jeremy and Anna know that you are like family to us. Nobody knows you are a witch apart from Anna who knew your ancestors well and Elena but I give you my word she won't tell anyone." Stefan quickly added.

"I trust your judgment Stefan, I might not know you enough but the fact my grandmother and my entire bloodline trusted you and Damon is enough for me." She assured him.

"Thank you." He smiled at her as he parked his car in the school's parking lot, next to Elena who was getting out of her car with Jeremy and Anna.

They both got out of the car and walked toward Elena, Jeremy and Anna. Bella could already feel people staring at her all around and did her best to ignore them all. She knew that she'd be the new girl once more, she had been expecting it. Now she needed to do her best to look unavailable to all boys.

"Elena, Jeremy, Anna, this is Bella Swan. Bella, this is Elena, Jeremy and Anna." Stefan introduced everyone after he gave Elena a greeting kiss.

"Hello Bella. I knew your ancestors, I'm sure we'll get along well." Anna greeted with a nice smile.

"I'm sure we will." Bella nodded softly.

After greeting everyone and a little small talk Stefan spoke out:

"Elena why don't you go ahead in history, I need to show Bella to the office so she can get her schedule. I'll join you later."

"Maybe you'll have classes with us Bella!" Elena exclaimed excitedly.

"I doubt it, I'm a senior and I mainly have AP courses." Bella replied with a soft smile.

Elena frowned for a second before she caught herself, kissed Stefan once more and walked off, followed by Jeremy and Anna who went to their own class.

Bella got her schedule and was happy to see she only had classes she liked. Stefan showed her to her first class and quickly explained to her how to get to her other classes.

"I'll save you a seat with us at lunch." He promised before he went to his own class.

The rest of the morning went by without an itch. If Bella didn't make any friends, she also didn't make enemies and was glad when the boys didn't jump on her like Mike, Tyler and Eric had done in Forks. Of course, everyone was watching her and she felt pretty uncomfortable. Also she didn't skip the ' _new girl humiliation_ ' and had to stand up a few times to introduce herself. The worst had been in Math when she had tripped on the way to the front and a second time on the way back. Her secret was out, everyone knew that she was a klutz now.

At lunch, she noticed that Elena and Stefan looked a little tensed and Stefan informed her that Isobel was in town and wanted to speak with Elena.

"Do you need help to deal with her?" Bella offered.

"She's my mother! We're not going to do anything to her!" Elena snapped angrily at Bella.

"I wasn't suggesting killing her or anything like that Elena, there are a lot of things I can do that could help." Bella replied, wondering what she had done to make Elena think that she was the " _kill first and ask questions later_ " kind of girl.

When she saw Stefan's frown, Elena apologized and Bella accepted, starting to agree with her grandmother about the Gilbert girl. For the moment, Elena had proven to hide her real emotions and pretend to like her when she really wanted to be hostile and Bella didn't like people who did that.

In the afternoon, Bella had her AP History class and met Alaric for the first time. She liked the man as a teacher and felt he was also a good man. She was glad that after everything he went through because of Isobel and the supernatural world, he had found love again in the person of Jenna, Elena's aunt. After class, she went to introduce herself more officially and told him that if he ever needed any magic done, he could always come and ask her. He had been surprised by her gesture but welcomed it, knowing that in this town, having someone with actual power on his side would always be a good thing.

.

School ended before she knew it and Bella walked out, wondering if Damon would forget about her because of Isobel being in town and if he did, if she would be able to find her way back home on her own. She couldn't ask Stefan to give her a ride back to her grandmother's house because he had already left with Elena but maybe she'd be able to find Anna and ask for her help. If not, she was resourceful enough to find her way back.

However, she didn't have to wonder for long because when she walked out of school, Damon was waiting for her, standing against his car, sunglasses on his nose and an arrogant smirk firmly in place on his face.

She couldn't help but find him sexy in that moment. As that thought crossed her mind, it was followed by guilt and Edward's face. She shook her head, trying to ignore the (smaller she noticed) pain in her chest as she walked toward the vampire. She could feel people were watching her making her way toward him, wondering how the new girl had already gotten one of the best looking bachelor in town to court her. When she looked to the side, she saw Caroline Forbes frowning and wondered if the blond beauty was jealous and if she was, why.

"Hello pretty Bella. How was your day?" he asked her when she was close enough for him to be heard without yelling.

"It was okay, I thought maybe you would change our plans and go with Stefan, Alaric and Elena to meet Isobel." She admitted.

"Nah, I'll catch up with Stefan after the founder's council." Damon dismissed it while he opened the door of the car for her.

He drove her around town, showing the main places before he took her to the Grill for a snack. After that, he took her straight to the Lockwood's for the Founder's council meeting.

Bella was quickly introduced to everyone and put up to date with what the council knew. She was surprised that her young age didn't seem to matter to them. They knew Isabelle was sick and would die in the next few months and that Bella would replace her, so they treated her like a full member right away. They trusted her and her powers and they pretended not to notice that she was barely 18.

The meeting was short and Bella didn't like John Gilbert right away. He acted like he was the most powerful and knew everything, like he was in on the universe's biggest secrets and he reminded her of Edward in the worst way possible. Later that night, when she told her grandmother how she felt, the older woman told her she felt the same way and that it described pretty well the person that was John Gilbert. Bella also learned that Isabelle suspected him from being Elena's biological father. Maybe that mystery would be cleared soon with Isobel's presence in town.

When he got back home after the meeting, Damon met up with Elena and Stefan and learned that Isobel wanted the device Pearl had given him. Elena got mad when he refused to just give it to her without knowing what it did first. Stefan took Elena home so she could calm down without upsetting Damon some more. He knew that an upset Damon was a dangerous one, even if he appeared to care for Elena at the moment.

.

The next few days went by without an itch for Bella who was busy catching up on the work her classes had done while she was in Forks. She spent her lunches with Stefan, Elena, Caroline, Matt, Bonnie, Jeremy, Anna and Tyler and decided most of them would be good friends, even if she'd keep an eye on Elena's mood swings.

Bella cornered Anna one day and asked her if she could meet up with Pearl but the young vampire told Bella that her mother had been killed by John Gilbert one evening. That same afternoon, Bella took Anna home with her and did a spell so that the eternal teenage girl could speak with her mother's spirit and get some closure. Anna was grateful and left only in the early hours of the morning, looking much happier.

.

Damon was frustrated.

Elena had convinced him, using his affection for her to manipulate him, to give Bonnie the device to un-spell and then she gave it to Isobel, who gave it to John. He didn't know why but he didn't feel like it was right. He wanted to tell Bella everything and get her to help but Stefan somehow convinced him to let her have a life as normal as possible while she could. He wanted to keep her out of the Mystic Fall's drama to try and prevent her from getting hurt. Damon understood and agreed with it, even though he would have felt better if Bella had been the one to un-spell the device that could kill all the vampires in town.

.

The days went by and soon, it was time for the founder's day parade. Bella watched it from the sidewalk with her grandmother and Damon.

As soon as the parade was over, Isabelle declared she was tired and went back home after asking Damon to make sure Bella made it home safely later. They had bought her a car but since it was brand new, it would be delivered only a few days later and so she still needed to be driven around for a while.

Bella was walking around, with Damon, who had insisted on buying her some cotton candy, protectively by her side. They were eating it together and having a lot of fun when Anna came rushing towards them, stepping way too close to them for it to be a social call.

"Ever heard of personal space Anna?" Damon asked her.

"Anna, what's wrong?" Bella asked as Damon looked annoyed that their fun time together got cut short.

"The tomb vampires are all around the square tonight and they're going to attack when the fireworks start. Members of the founding families are the targets!" She explained quickly in a high and panicking voice.

"Find Jeremy and take him home right now, don't stop to explain things to him. Grab him, get him to safety and then explain, okay?" Bella told her quickly.

Anna nodded and ran away at full speed.

"I'm going to get you home and warn Stefan." Damon decided.

"No need. I can defend myself Damon, don't worry. You should go and warn Stefan and Elena, I'll be able to stop vampires around the square." Bella replied, shaking her head.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course, go!" Bella nodded before he replied with a nod of his own and ran away.

She looked around for a while and at some point she saw Tyler driving by with Matt and Caroline in his car. She sighted in relief, at least they would be safe from the vampires.

All of the sudden, Bella could see people, probably vampires, rolling on the floor and being taken away by police officers. She looked around, searching for a way to make herself useful and help.

She saw from afar as Alaric helped Stefan. She didn't need to join them right now, Stefan was safe so she kept on looking around and saw some officers taking the mayor. She rushed to their side (she was surprised that she didn't fall on the way) and when she reached them, she recited:

" _Thoughts, Beliefs, Ideas, Truths, Images, All these you hold onto tightly, what I now mention you will release._ The mayor never fell on the ground, the device didn't affect him. Go away now."

After that, she bent toward the mayor and he looked up:

"Thank you Isabella. What's going on?"

"The device works, but it doesn't affect only vampires. It also hurts werewolves. It doesn't matter that your curse isn't triggered, you still have the gene in your blood and so you heard it." Bella explained as she helped him to stand up.

"John mustn't have been aware of that fact." He supposed.

"Don't be so sure, John has his own plans and I have the feeling that your death would have helped him reach his hidden goal." Bella replied.

"What do you mean?" Richard was confused.

"A man like John Gilbert wants nothing more than power. He wants to control everyone and everything, it's the reason he is doing this. Think about it, you die tonight: he disguises it as you being killed by some vampire. He comes out as the hero who rid the town of vampires. He doesn't care if they are evil or not, he's not going to sort through them. All he cares about is that everyone obeys him." Bella explained before she added "You should go check on Tyler, I saw him driving his car and if he heard it too, who knows what happened to him." Bella suggested.

Richard nodded and ran away as fast as he could, praying silently that he son was fine.

Bella looked around and saw Stefan and Elena running toward a building on the other side of the place. They looked scared so she decided to follow them, wondering why Damon wasn't with them. The closest she got to joining them, she could see some smoke coming out of the building's windows and she got anxious. It couldn't be good.

She arrived and saw John Gilbert looking smug in front of the building who appeared to be on fire. When he tried to stop her from passing by him, she used her power to throw him against the wall where he lost consciousness. At that moment, it didn't matter to her that he was human or that she could have caused him some serious injuries, all she cared about was that he got punished for what he did because whatever it was, she felt that it was nothing good.

Bella finally arrived in the back of the building to see Elena and Bonnie holding hands in front of the opened door and Stefan trying to get in. Bella joined him.

"I'm going in." he informed her.

"The fire is too much Stefan." Bella replied in a high voice when she saw the door was opened and the fire inside was wild.

"Damon is inside!" Stefan yelled.

"What? Okay, I think I have something, I think I've read a spell that could work _May the object of objection become but a dream as I cause the seen to be unseen long enough for Stefan to save his sibling_."

As soon as she said those words, the flames vanished and Stefan rushed inside and came back seconds later supporting Damon. As soon as Stefan was out, the flames reappeared as if they had always been there.

"Was anyone else we know in there?" Bella asked as she helped him carry Damon outside.

"No, just tomb vampires." Stefan shook his head.

"Anna must have made it home with Jeremy then, that's a good thing." Bella breathed out in relief.

As soon as they stepped out, Bonnie looked at Bella with wide eyes:

"What are you?"

"I'm a witch and you should be ashamed of yourself! Do you know the Mayor was also affected by the device because he has the werewolf gene? If he was so was Tyler. He was in a car with Caroline and Matt when the device went off, he was driving. What if something happened to them? Do you have any idea of the damages you've caused?" Bella was about to go on but Bonnie cut her off.

"No you're not! I'm a witch and if you were one I would have been able to sense it by now. You're evil, just like them!" Bonnie exclaimed, throwing a dirty look at Damon and Stefan.

Damon, who was glaring daggers at Bonnie, was about to protest when Bella spoke up again:

"Wow, paranoid much? I'm a real witch Bonnie, not a slave… I mean, not a servant of nature like you. It means I am much more powerful than you and can do much more than you can without even breaking a sweat. When you get a nose bleed, I can go on for several more hours." Bella replied, feeling the need, for the first time in her life, to gloat.

"If you're defending them you are evil!" Bonnie spat.

"Not everything in life is black or white Bonnie and I think you've been under the impression you were more powerful than anyone…" Bella started but stopped talking when she felt an attack on her head.

Of course her magic repelled it but it angered Bella that Bonnie would try to give her an aneurysm:

"You dare attack me? You have no idea what you're doing! I'm human! If I didn't have a natural protection against attacks on my head I would have died! You could have killed me just now! You're young, powerless and arrogant!" Bella yelled, getting really angry with the so-called witch.

"I'm far from powerless." Bonnie smirked, looking at Damon and had him rolling on the floor in pain in no time.

Bella was really furious now. She quickly moved to stand in front of Damon, intercepting the spell and protecting him in the process.

"Now you've gone too far. You should have just left him alone and accepted the truth. You need to be punished!" Bella snapped.

"I'm human, you can't do anything to me if you really are a good witch." Bonnie replied confidently and the arrogant and overly confident smirk on her face angered Bella even more.

"I don't have to hurt you to punish you. _From whence they came, return them now. Vanish the words, vanish Bonnie's powers._ " Bella recited while Bonnie looked at her in horror.

"What have you done to me?" Bonnie asked, feeling the loss of her magic.

"I took your powers away. When you grow up and learn your lesson I'll give them back to you. Well, you'll have to apologize to Damon and Stefan first. Until then, you should go home and do some work on yourself. Rethink your priorities and opinions." Bella suggested as the upset girl left, glaring at all of them.

Elena was now on Damon's other side and the young man was starting to look much better.

"You didn't have to do that to Bonnie." Elena protested, glaring at Bella.

"Bonnie tried to have Damon and Stefan killed! Your boyfriend could have been dead because of her, don't you realize that? She's much too arrogant to survive in this town. I did this for her own good and I can assure you that she'll understand it in time." Bella replied, trying to remain calm.

Elena was obviously upset and Stefan took her home while Damon drove Bella to her own place. Bella hoped the doppelganger could understand in time but for now, it looked like she was going to take Bonnie's defense and Bella didn't really care. She didn't need Elena in her life. She didn't understand why everyone was so hell bent on protecting the girl but there was no way she would risk her own life and safety or those of the people she loved because Elena Gilbert was being arrogant and selfish.

As soon as she got inside her home, Bella went to find her grandmother and when she found her sound asleep in her bed, she decided to tell her everything the next day.

.

The next morning, Bella was barely done explaining everything that happened to her grandmother when Damon called to inform them that John Gilbert had been attacked in the Gilbert's kitchen by Katherine, who had been let in by Jenna, who had no clue of the danger since she was the only one in their house who wasn't aware of the supernatural.

When they arrived in the hospital to check on John, they ran into Liz Forbes who informed them that Caroline had been severely injured in the car accident Tyler had during the night and could lose her life. She was really devastated and asked Damon to take the lead of the Council. She first asked Isabelle but the old woman refused, saying she was too old for that kind of responsibility.

Elena tried to convince Damon to give Caroline some of his blood so she could heal but he reminded her that with Katherine in town, it wasn't safe. Elena was mad and glared at him for a while before she asked Stefan to do the same.

"Damon is right Elena, Katherine is playing a game right now and she's the only one who knows the rules. Who knows what she'll do if we give Caroline blood? Do you want her to wake up as a vampire, to realize that she won't grow old and never have children like she wanted?" Stefan tried to reason with Elena.

"But we can't leave her like this! We have to do something." Elena pleaded.

"We can't always control everything Elena. Sometimes we have to let nature lead the way." Bella told her softly.

"How can you say that? It's a human life we are speaking of here!" Elena exclaimed accusingly at Bella.

"I know, but we can't always save everyone." Bella insisted, knowing it was one of the lessons her grandmother wanted to teach her by not fighting more her heart condition.

"I'll find a way to save her, with or without you." Elena decided, storming away on her own, not waiting for Stefan to join her.

"You know, I could try to do something for Caroline, I have my healing power." Bella suggested to her grandmother.

"Caroline is in critical condition Sweet and you'd put your own life on the line. You can't control it enough to just heal her a bit, can you?" Isabelle asked her.

"I can try. I want to try." Bella nodded.

"Very well then, I'll talk to Liz."

A few minutes later, Bella entered Caroline's hospital room and took her left hand in her own, closing her eyes and concentrating.

"Don't think too much Sweet, let your heart reach out to her. Don't think, just feel." The elder Swan suggested.

Bella did as she was told and soon, she could feel something happening.

"Slow down Bella, if you keep this way you'll be the one in this bed." Isabelle advises.

"I… I can't do more. I think she's out of the woods now but I can't do more without risking my own life, I'm sorry." Bella said, looking at Liz.

"Don't worry Bella, you already did a lot, thank you." Liz Forbes nodded.

"Come now Bella, you need some food and a nap, no discussions." Isabelle declared, leading her now tired looking granddaughter out of the hospital room while Liz called for Meredith Fell to come and check her daughter one more time.

.

A couple of days later, at the school carnival, Bella, Isabelle, Stefan and Damon found out that Elena had stolen the vial full of Anna's blood that was in Jeremy's bedroom and gave it to her injured friend without anyone knowing. Caroline had healed completely very quickly but it didn't last long since Katherine killed her as a message that the game was on.

Bonnie accused Damon and refused to believe that it was Elena's doing. Bella ended up doing a spell to show Bonnie what had happened and now Bonnie was starting to realize that Bella had been right, she needed to grow up and mature a bit instead of jumping to conclusions all the time.

Right now, she wasn't speaking to Caroline, who was a vampire, or Elena, who was the cause of it. Actually, even Stefan was mad at Elena right now but since he loved her, he forgave her and was trying to get her to see that she really acted the wrong way. Damon was trying to redeem himself for what he did to Caroline when he first came to town by helping her adapting to her new life and allowing her access to his reserve of blood.

Bella spelled her a necklace without posing any condition or threats and Damon was grateful for that. Caroline would adapt much quicker to her new life if she had support and a way to go out in the sun and maintain her old life.

.

While Bella was busy learning new spells and helping her new circle of friends in Mystic Falls, the Cullen's decided to come back to Forks and try to mend things with her. Edward had come to them a couple of days ago, saying he missed her way too much and that they should move back.

Of course Alice was jumping with joy and everyone guessed it was because she thought of Bella as her best friend and sister when she really was just happy to have her living Barbie Doll back. She had managed to keep her thoughts away from Edward's ears by thinking in Korean sign language, something he didn't know or care to learn.

When they finally arrived at the house, they were shocked by the state of it.

"What happened?" Esmee asked as they turned from the ruined garage and looked at the house and its broken windows.

"It couldn't have been a storm." Jasper suggested, not even believing it himself.

"It looks like a giant tore the roof of the garage off." Emmett replied before Rosalie hit him upside the head.

They walked to the front door, Alice leading them and they all spotted at the same time a small white envelope attached to the door.

"What is it?" Edward asked as Carlisle rushed in front of Alice, who looked upset for a second but caught herself, and he took the letter.

"It's Bella's handwriting. It's addressed to us all." He replied.

"Let's go inside and read it then." Emmett suggested before his father nodded and pushed in the code to open the door.

Esmee and Rosalie quickly opened the living room and they sat in the seats. Carlisle opened the letter and they could all smell Bella's scent around the small pieces of paper.

"I'll start the reading then…" Carlisle decided:

" _Dear Cullen's,_

 _First of all, I'm sorry about the damages I've cause to your house..._ "

"Wow, that was her?" Emmett asked.

"How is that even possible?" Edward asked

"Maybe if you let me keep reading we'll all understand." Carlisle replied before he went back to reading the letter:

"… _and the garage but you all leaving me made me very mad and since I came to my powers…. Right, you don't know, I'm a witch._ "

Everyone had a shocked face at that moment. Most of them didn't even think witches existed and half of them were thinking that maybe Bella was playing a prank on them.

"Don't be ridiculous Carlisle! Stop kidding with us and tell us what she really wrote." Emmett chuckled.

"I assure you I'm reading what she wrote." Carlisle replied, turning the letter toward them so they could see that he wasn't lying.

"How could she be? She must have been sick when she wrote this, witches don't exist. Right Carlisle?" Edward asked.

"I've come across a couple in my time, I'm afraid that there is a possibility that this is the truth." Carlisle replied, watching the still very shocked faces of his family before he went back to reading the piece of paper:

" _Well, you probably don't care since you left me without a goodbye."_

Everyone glared at Edward at that moment and the bronze haired vampire looked down, knowing that it was his fault if they did and already hearing their reprimands in their minds.

" _Anyway, I had to take out the anger you brought out in me on something, I decided on something that was yours and it helped. I do feel a little better."_

"Well, she must have been really pissed!" Rosalie commented.

" _I'm really mad at you for leaving me behind, for giving me the feeling you were just using me to feel more human, to make me feel worthless. Shame on you all! I wanted all of you to know how much your leaving me without saying goodbye hurt me. Edward breaking up with me was hard but I could have gone through it much easier if I still had my best friend with me."_

Everyone looked down and Jasper was having a really hard time dealing with all the feelings in the rooms. There were so many different sorts of feelings that he couldn't tell who was feeling what anymore.

" _Alice, Can you honestly tell me you didn't see the paper cut coming? Why you would want to risk hurting Jasper with this guilt I have no idea but I know now that you weren't being very truthful with me."_

Alice was furious inside that Bella had caught her on it. She looked around and saw that her family was now thoughtful. She had to keep this up if she wanted her ultimate plan to work.

Carlisle had stopped reading a few seconds and decided to shake the doubt and save it for later. He went back to reading:

" _Maybe everyone else was in on it, maybe you're using them too. All I know is that one day, you'll understand why they say that '_ _ **Karma is a bitch'**_ _. I trusted you. You were my sister. It hurts, I hope you're happy…"_

All the feelings in the room were killing Jasper. Carlisle saw his name next and decided to give the letter to Rosalie so she could read it and keep a cool head.

The blond vampire started her reading:

" _Carlisle, Esmee, You hurt me a lot too. You were supposed to be my surrogate parents. You said you loved me like a daughter and I did love you as if you were my parents. You made me feel part of your family only to break me later. Who does that? You should be ashamed of yourselves. Don't come with the excuse of a clean break or of Edward asking you, I thought you at least would have come to say goodbye but maybe you're not the people I thought you were."_

Carlisle and Esmee were holding each other and if they could be crying they would have been now. They knew they made a mistake, they were both starting to love Bella like a daughter when they left and the only reason they did it was because Edward and Alice assured them that it would be best for everyone.

Rosalie saw her name coming next so she gave the paper to Emmett to read next. The giant vampire took the letter eagerly and started reading, half afraid of what Bella would have had to say to his Rose:

" _Rosalie, I'm not mad at you and you're the only one who didn't hurt me by leaving. You always made it clear that you didn't like me and I can't be mad at you for that, even if you never really gave me your reason, it was your choice and if Edward and Alice thought me something, is the value of free will. Also now I have the power to grant you what you desire the most: Being human again (If Edward wasn't lying). Well, since you never lied to me, if you manage to find me and ask nicely, I'll grant you your wish, I'll start looking into it as soon as I'm in my new home."_

Emmett stopped reading. Rosalie was shocked but Jasper could feel a spark of hope in her heart.

Alice was furious inside but decided to keep her act up for as long as she could.

Emmett went back to reading:

" _Jasper, Please don't feel bad about what happened, it's not you I'm mad at. Just like Rosalie, if you come and find me, I might be able to find a way to help you with your bloodlust control. After all, it comes because of your gift."_

"I never considered things this way." Carlisle said suddenly looking up.

"Do you think it's true?" Jasper asked.

"I do, it could very well explain it…" Carlisle nodded pensively.

Once again, Alice was mad. If Jasper learned to control his bloodlust, he would slowly realize he didn't need her and that they weren't true mates, he would leave her and she would have to find someone else to play his role in her plan. She had to think of something and fast.

" _I can help you with that I'm sure, after all, what's the point of having powers if I don't use them to help good people?"_

"That's so Bella behavior!" Esmee exclaimed fondly before Emmett handed her the letter to read:

" _Emmett, in the short time we spent together you became the big brother I kept asking my mother for when I was a kid and it's why your leaving without saying goodbye hurt me just as much as Edward's or Alice's. What was I to you? A sister? A friend? Just a simple pet?"_

Emmett glared at Edward, knowing it was his entire fault. He whispered "my baby sis". Rosalie let Emmett come into her arms as Esmee kept on reading:

" _Edward,"_

Edward looked up, knowing that what was coming next would probably hurt him but needing to hear her last words to him:

" _It's hard writing to you how much you've hurt me because I don't think words can describe the pain I feel. The hole I feel in my heart every time something reminds me of you… I know I'll recover because I'm strong but I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive you for what you did to me…"_

Edward looked down and dry sobbed while Carlisle was stroking his back.

" _Making decisions in the place of people is wrong. You might think that you're better than other people, better than me… You're not!"_

"She sounds really mad, not only at Edward but at all of us." Jasper noticed.

"And she has a right to. We all left her, betrayed her!" Emmett snapped, still glaring at Edward.

" _Taking people's free will away from them is never good and I hope you all learn that lesson some day, for your own sakes. I'm going to be around a while. According to an ancient prophecy maybe even forever…"_

"What does that mean?" Edward asked.

"Who knows… Maybe she's from a very powerful line of witches and she will have the power to live forever." Alice guessed in a soothing voice to Edward.

"Can't you see her?" Carlisle asked.

"No, probably because of her powers." Alice replied in a truly frustrated tone.

She would have loved to be able to see what Bella was doing and where she was, it would have made manipulating her back into their arms much easier. Now she'd have to find something else to bring Bella back to them, back to her.

Esmee went back to reading:

" _Once again I'm really sorry for the damages I did to your house, I needed to let out my anger at you on something."_

"Apparently better on the house than on me." Emmett chuckled, getting everyone to chuckle softly with him.

" _In the end, no matter how much you've hurt me with everything, I miss you and I know I won't be able to forget you any time soon and even if I'm angry, I do hope you'll all have nice lives. Maybe one day our paths will cross again and I'll be ready to face you. Until then, have a nice life and please be careful, there is a whole dangerous world out there you don't know about. Bella"_

"It looks like she still cares… Maybe we can find her and I can win her over again." Edward suggested in a hopeful tone.

"I think we need to give her some time to cool down and be able to forgive us." Jasper argued.

"I agree with him. We should wait a few months and then we'll start looking for her." Rosalie nodded, not wanting to jeopardize the gift Bella was offering her.

"I agree with them." Esmee agreed while Carlisle nodded his agreement also.

Alice played along and acted like she agreed with them all, like it was for the best. It looked like her plan would have to wait for a while longer. Everything just got more complicated and she needed to find new allies.

* * *

 **Not much was changed in this chapter, I hope you still like it though.**

 **Review please?**

 **I love all of you,**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4 :_

That morning, Bella was in her living room along with Elena, Anna, Jeremy, Alaric, the Salvatore brothers, Bonnie, Caroline and Tyler. Isabelle was at one of her friends' house until the middle of the afternoon and Bella wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page about what was coming.

She had the Book of Shadow in front of her and she couldn't help but notice that Bonnie was eyeing the Book with envy. Unfortunately for the Bennett witch, when she tried to touch it with her right hand, the book produced a shield around itself and shocked her, sending her backward a few feet.

"What's happened? Why did it do that?" Bonnie asked as Damon and Caroline chuckled.

"Because it's not yours to touch. The Book knows your intentions are not on the same page as mine, so you can't touch it." Bella explained, ignoring the other witch's incredulous stares.

"Tyler, I believe your father warned you about everything before telling you to come here?" Bella asked the young man who was sitting between Stefan and Damon, changing the subject before Bonnie could complain some more like she had taken a habit of doing lately.

Bella had only allowed her inside her house because it would make everything easier for what they had to do but she would place a ban on the door to prevent her from coming back as soon as this was over and she was firmly decided on doing it.

"Yes, he told me you would fill in the blanks though. He said something about never inviting Elena home too, so I didn't let her in last night." He replied.

"I wasn't at your place last night, I was in my room." Elena denied, looking confused, like Tyler.

Bella could feel that Tyler was about to reply and defend his honor, assure everyone that he wasn't a liar and it could turn into something big but fortunately, Damon intervened and explained it all with one name.

"It was Katherine." Damon guessed.

"She is a Petrova Doppelganger, like Elena. They look the same." Bella explained quickly.

"Like, really the same everywhere?" Tyler asked, before looking down at everyone's incredulous looks.

"It's not like we ever stood side by side to compare every details of our bodies." Elena rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Stefan is the only one who's seen both doppelganger naked, he's the only one who can answer your question though I'm curious about the answer too." Damon replied but was ignored by everyone, even thought Tyler looked at Stefan under a new light.

"Why was she trying to get into the Lockwood's house?" Stefan wondered.

"Yes, I mean, I get trying to get access to the Gilbert's house, it helps her get information and pretend to be Elena. But the Lockwood's? She didn't even like them back in 1864." Damon added.

"When she escaped, in 1864, Katherine traded her freedom against a moonstone that is to be used in a very specific ritual. She thinks it's still in the Lockwood's possession, she has no idea my family got the stone a long time ago and that we're protecting it. Only a willing Swan witch can retrieve it and right now I'm not willing." Bella explained.

"Well, now I feel better, I was wondering why Elena was being so flirty all of the sudden when she refused to even just make out with me after she broke up with Matt." Tyler told them with a chuckle.

"You're on vervain right?" Elena asked him.

"Yes, my parents put some in everything." He answered.

"About vervain, Anna, Damon, Stefan and Caroline, you need to start drinking some everyday too. Start by taking a few drops, take more when you get used to it. An original vampire, I'll explain them later, can compel you if you're not on vervain. Plus, if you're used to vervain in your system, then it will affect you a lot less than it usually does if you get shot with it." Bella explained.

"But it burns…" Caroline complained.

"I know, but trust me, it's for the best." Bella replied softly while Damon was whispering to Caroline that she could trust Bella.

He had taken her under his wing and helped her adjust to her new condition. He showed her how to feed and leave the people alive, how to compel, how to control her new abilities and, above all, how to be strong and see the positive side of her new life.

"Did you ask us all to come just for this?" Jeremy asked.

"No, I'm going to tell you a little vampire history, then I will tell you why Elena and Katherine exists and what is their use." Bella replied.

"My use? I'm not an object created for anything! I'm a human being!" Elena shouted, obviously offended by what Bella had said.

"Let's start with Doppelganger history then, I feel like it will enlighten you Elena." Bella started to say, rolling her eyes at Elena's aggressive answer before she continued:

"A long time ago, a witch named Qetsiyah cursed a girl named Amara and her lover Silas, which Amara had stolen from Qetsiyah before their wedding day, to be reborn again and again as copies of themselves until they both died. Qetsiyah was very powerful, she's the one who created the Other side so that the spirits of the supernatural dead would linger on Earth and never truly find peace. Their shared love, Silas, is still alive as an immortal, imprisoned in a cave somewhere and probably desiccated by now. He's over 2000 years old. He believes his love Amara to be dead and since she was human before they both changed into immortals, she wouldn't be on the other side. However she's not dead, she's the anchor to the other side, you kill her and the other side crumbles. But if he kills her, Silas can't be with her and that's his real punishment right here. Qetsiyah wanted to force Silas to join her on the other side, to be hers and hers alone and so she created a cure to turn him back to the witch he used to be before he became an immortal. The whole story is a bit longer than that and there are a lot of specifics I'll be more than happy to share later to those who are interested but you need to know that without Qetsiyah, you wouldn't exist, Elena, because Amara was your ancestor. So yes, Elena, you have been created, just like an object, as a mean to an end. As a matter of fact, your blood can be very powerful to a supernatural creature, close to witches, that are called Travelers and you can be used in a lot of different rituals." Bella replied, looking the young Petrova right in the eyes.

Elena looked mad but Stefan took her hand in his and calmed her down while Bella opened her book and turned the pages. Bella started by telling them the story of Qetsiyah, Silas and Amara in more details, explaining how they were both still alive and what could happen if they were freed.

"But you just said that the witch cursed both Silas and Amara… Who is the other doppelganger then? Who is Silas' doppelganger?" Anna asked.

"Destiny is a funny thing sometimes because Silas' double always somehow finds Amara's double and they always end up falling in love." Bella hinted.

"Me?" Stefan asked and Bella nodded.

"But Stefan is a vampire, like Katherine. He's old, I mean, he was born a long time ago… Shouldn't there be another Silas double around here then?" Caroline asked Bella.

"I'm sure that one was born around the same time as Elena was born but he doesn't have to be in this town. I'm sure that if Elena hadn't met Stefan, their path would have crossed somehow but since he's here, whatever brings them together doesn't work quite the same. Of course I could cast a locating spell to find him but it would only bring trouble to Stefan and Elena's couple. I don't see the point." Bella replied.

"So this Qetsiyah is stuck on the other side, which she created, forced to watch the double of the man she still loves falling in love over and over again with the double of the girl she loathes? I'm not sure who's being punished here." Damon declared.

"I know, but it was her choice, her decision and now she has to stick with it." Bella replied.

"So it was just Elena and Katherine since Amara, then?" Tyler asked.

"Actually no. A pair of doppelganger was born every couple of hundred years since Amara was used to create the other side." Bella replied before she moved the conversation on.

She turned a few more pages until she found the one about the Original family of vampires. She told them everything from Esther cheating on Mickeal with Ansel to Klaus killing his mother after she put a curse on him and him accusing Mickeal of it. She told them how Mickeal hunted them all down and how Klaus daggered them when they betrayed him to make sure they wouldn't run off to help Mickeal.

Bella remembered the Original's history well, she barely had to look at the book to tell it to them. Her grandmother used to tell her this story when she was a little girl, before she put her to bed. It was her favorite ritual with her beloved grandmother. Of course, back then, it was a little bit romanced and Klaus, Kol, Elijah, Finn and Rebekah were princes and princesses. Esther had been the bad queen witch and Mickeal the evil king while Ansel was the enemy king with a brave and true heart.

She used to love hearing this story and now she knew that not only they were all real but she'd eventually get to meet them and it excited her quite a lot. She could barely wait. She always imagined Klaus as the most handsome of them all, the most interesting to get to know. She figured that meeting him would be like meeting the president or the prince of a far away land. He was probably the kind of man you immediately recognized, even if you had never met him. He probably stood taller than any other, prouder, with some sort of invisible barrier around him, guarding his emotions.

Damon almost felt jealous as he heard the passionate tone that Bella used to speak about the Mickealson family, especially the Original sons, mainly Klaus. Of course he had no right to be jealous but he couldn't help himself. He wanted to be with Bella and hearing her being so passionate about another man, one that was older and much more powerful than he was, made him jealous and a little bit angry.

When she was done, Bella turned a couple more pages and saw the page dedicated to the history of Petrova Doppelgangers that had been found over the centuries. She told them, while looking mainly at Elena, of Tatia. How she used men, had a child out of wedlock and how she died. Then she explained what she knew of Katherine's history. Once again, a Petrova Doppelganger had had a child out of wedlock and had ended up playing brothers against each others. There were a few other names and stories in the book. With a doppelganger being born every couple of hundred years, there was a lot to say and they always ended up the same way.

Elena paled when she heard this. She was destined to turn out like this? She didn't like it. She didn't want to have a child out f wedlock. Actually, she only wanted Stefan and he couldn't have children so that was supposed to settle it, right? One of the bright side of dating a vampire was that the sex was safe from STD's and pregnancies.

After that, Bella described the curse, the official one Klaus spread around the world to make sure that people would look for her, and the real one, which only served him.

"So I'm supposed to just wait and die?" Elena asked with a scared look in her eyes.

"I have ways of saving you. We will arrange something with him when the time comes, it won't be a problem." Bella replied in a reassuring voice.

"Right now the problem is Katherine, if she fooled Tyler last night it means she's getting pretty good at playing Elena." Jeremy reminded them.

Bella had to bite back a remark that it didn't seem that hard to play Elena since she was so selfish and shallow. She held back, she couldn't say these things, she had to be more mature, like she had always been. Playing teenage girl now because the girl aggravated her wouldn't help anyone.

"Yes, you must all be careful and never directly invite Elena in, wait for her to come in on her own." Damon advised.

"You can also fill a water gun with vervain and shoot at her when she's at the door, see if she burns." Jeremy suggested, making them all chuckled.

"Laugh all you want, this is actually not a bad idea." Alaric approved.

"On to another matter: Elena, Alaric, Jeremy, I think it's important that Jenna is told the truth. She needs to know what's going on and what danger she's in." Bella suggested.

"No! Absolutely not!" Elena shouted, standing up as she did.

"I already said I wanted her in on it. Everything would be easier if she knew." Alaric agreed with Bella.

"It's not your call!" Elena glared at him.

"It's not your either Elena!" Anna snapped.

"You're not a part of this family, you have nothing to say in this matter!" Elena yelled at Anna and Jeremy rose to defend his girlfriend.

"Don't speak to her like this! Anna is right. You don't get to make the decisions for everyone Elena. We're a democracy, I say we vote and by the looks of it, you're the only one who wants to keep Aunt Jenna in the dark." Jeremy snapped at his sister who looked greatly offended.

"She doesn't need to know." Elena argued.

"She does Elena. She's in danger and needs to be aware of it so she can defend herself in case of an attack." Alaric argued back.

"Well, then again, Elena doesn't like to deal with confronting people about things, she'd rather compel them to forget." Jeremy reminded them.

"Okay, that's enough! The majority has spoken, Alaric, you will tell everything to Jenna, maybe even train her a little so she can defend herself in case Katherine or another vampire attacks her." Bella said in a decisive tone.

"Who died and made you the queen?" Elena snapped at Bella.

"Elena, Bella is trying to help us all, she's doing her best so you can stay alive, be nice." Stefan told his girlfriend.

"Stop this! I'm tired of this! You're always defending her and that awful grandmother of hers. Both you and Damon! What, she's sleeping with the two of you now? You're cheating on me with her, is that it?" Elena was in hysterics now.

"Don't be stupid Elena, Bella is like family, I love you! Even if sometimes lately I wonder why." Stefan shouted and brought complete silence to the room.

"As for me sleeping around, you don't need to worry about that, I'm still a virgin and have no plan to change that anytime soon." Bella bravely replied with a blushing face, wondering why she felt the need to clear herself and trying to ignore the look Damon was giving her, along with Tyler.

Elena ignored her and was still arguing with Stefan.

Everyone was watching like it was the new episode of their favorite TV Show. Bella reopened the Book of Shadow and looked for help in it. Finding a page that would prevent her headache from spreading she said:

" _Let this girl, quick as a sneeze, stop this snit and quickly freeze_."

Elena stopped mi-sentence and everyone turned to Bella.

Elena was now frozen in her standing position, an accusing finger pointing at Stefan and a hand on her hip. Her mouth was wide open but no sound came out of it and her eyes were fixed on Stefan.

"I was getting a headache. Something isn't right with her, I need to look in the Book for a way to free her from these dark feelings in her." Bella explained.

"Maybe she's just naturally a bitch." Anna suggested in a quiet voice.

"I'll go make some tea and coffee." Damon offered, going to the kitchen with Anna to prepare beverages.

Bella rolled her eyes, Damon was trying to win points with her, to show her that he could be a nice guy, not only when it was just the two of them but also when there was other people he didn't particularly like around.

After 10 minutes of turning pages, Bella declared:

"Okay, I have something but it will work only if someone cast a spell on her, if not, it means she's possessed by something or someone. I'll try it anyway, it can't hurt. Okay: _A spell was cast, now make it past. Remove it now, don't ask me how._ "

"Did it work?" Jeremy asked when she was done and nothing happened.

Bella sighted.

"Nope. If it did we would have seen some kind of reaction, like lights leaving her body or something." Bella replied as she took a sip of the tea Damon handed her.

He warned the vampires in the room that he had put vervain in the coffee so they could start to get used to it. Bella went back to turning pages.

"I'm going to go and meet Jenna now, I'll tell her everything and might bring her back later." Alaric decided and everyone nodded.

It took Bella another 20 minutes to find a spell that could work. Of course she could have made her own, but she felt she wasn't ready for this now, especially since she didn't know what was wrong with Elena.

"I think I've found something. This spell is to rid the evil from a house but since Elena is currently in my house, if an evil spirit inhabits her it would get rid of it too." Bella informed them.

"Try it, what's the worst that could happen." Stefan encouraged her.

"Don't say that! In horror movies when someone says that something terribly bad always happens!" Caroline exclaimed.

"We're not in a horror movie Caroline." Tyler chuckled.

"Oh really? Vampires, witches, werewolves, psycho doppelganger killer?" Caroline replied.

"Oh… I see… You may have a point there." Tyler nodded

"Okay, let's try this then… _When in the circle that is home Evil's gone and safety roams rid all beings from this walls save the innocent, now heed my call_." Bella read.

As soon as Bella said those words, Elena unfroze and some sort of dark cloud escaped her body. The doppelganger fell on the carpet as soon as the dark being left her and Bella saw that it was slowly expending to the whole room. The spell prevented it from inhabiting anybody else but it could still influence them by spreading around the room. She could see them all tensing around her and starting to argue over stupid things. It could get ugly pretty fast if she didn't act now. Turning back to the book she turned pages frantically:

"Please, please help me…" Bella muttered as the pages suddenly started turning on their own.

She didn't think more of it and read the spell right away:

" _I am light, I am one too strong to fight. Return to the dark where shadows remain, you cannot have my friends. Go away and leave my sight and take with you this endless night._ "

After reading this, Bella remembered that this was a smell poem that her grandmother had taught her when she was a child. The memory made her smile.

The dark cloud seemed to be burning in front of them and Bella could see her friends being back to their calm selves. Stefan rushed to Elena who was starting to wake up.

"She's going to be confused, you should probably take her home and explain everything to her." Bella suggested as Stefan took Elena in his arms and carried her to his car.

Jeremy and Anna decided to follow him back home to see how things were going with Jenna.

"Well, I'm going to go home too, I need to finish a paper for science." Caroline decided as Tyler nodded goodbye and left as well.

Soon, it was only Bella and Damon left.

"You're getting pretty good with this magic power thing." He complimented her.

"Thanks, but for the last one the Book turned the pages on its own." Bella explained him.

"Well, just the same, you did good today." He insisted.

He was back to his flirty self, just like every time they were together in a non life threatening situation and she blushed before she said:

"Stop it, Damon."

"Stop what?" He asked.

"Stop flirting, I'm not ready for anything like this."

"Maybe what you need to get over Edward is to let yourself go and enjoy being with me." Damon suggested, moving closer to her.

"You're still in love with both Katherine and Elena and even if you moved on, I would only be your rebound, just like you would be mine." She shook her head.

"Well, I don't see anything bad about being each other's rebounds. We could still stay friends afterwards." Damon suggested softly.

"It doesn't change that you're still in love with the doppelganger, both of them."

"Maybe you could do something about this." He suggested.

"You want me to cast a spell to help you move on from Katherine and Elena?" She asked in an incredulous tone.

"Sure, why not?" He replied seriously.

"Okay, I saw a spell a while back that could work, here we go… are you sure? Okay then: _Your love for the doppelganger shall be no more, make your feelings only pure. Look upon another face, theirs will hers now replace._ It's done." Bella declared and already Damon looked somehow relieved and more at peace with himself.

"How do you feel?" She asked him.

"Like a big burden has been lifted off my shoulders." He replied before he smirked at her and added "So, what about this date then?"

"I didn't say I would go on a date with you." She protested.

"Just as friends then, we'll celebrate my new freedom." He insisted.

"Freedom really? … Fine, but just as friends then." Bella finally agreed.

"Good, I'll pick you up at 7 tonight. Don't eat first, I'm taking you out to a good restaurant!" He exclaimed happily before he kissed her cheek and left the house with a chuckle.

"We're just friends!' Bella yelled after him with laughter in her voice.

Since it was close to lunch, Bella heated up some left-over and carried the Book of Shadows back to her magic room.

.

After that, she decided to put back the journal she was done reading in the Attic and got another one. It had been a journal from her ancestor who had known Stefan and Damon as humans in 1864 and it had been interesting to get to know them this way. She looked through the boxes for one of the oldest, closed her eyes and let her hand choose one by itself.

It was the journal of a Swan woman (witch of course) who lived in Venice in the 16th century. Her name was Bianca and she had been a courtesan. Bella took the tick looking journal and carried it to her room. She went on her balcony and started reading with the sun on her face.

It didn't take her long to realize it wasn't a journal like the others who told history, it was more of a _'sex journal',_ a handbook to any woman who wanted to seduce a man. Bianca described positions and gestures that men loved, she gave advises and clues on how to find out what men liked and wanted. She explained how to manipulate them to do what you wanted without using magic and with them thinking it was their own doing.

"Reading something good?" Isabelle asked, entering the balcony.

"This is Bianca Swan's journal. Have you read it?" Bella asked with a blush.

"Yes, I believe I have a long time ago. It's pretty interesting isn't it?" She asked her granddaughter.

"Do you know how much some people would be ready to pay to have those… lessons I guess?" Bella asked as she looked up.

"I didn't finish reading it, I was too embarrassed and later I forgot about it but I believe you are right, maybe you could work on it a little and we could get it published, give today's girls some good old fashioned advises." Isabelle advised.

"I love that idea but I'll try to finish reading it first." Bella nodded before she temporarily closed the journal and told her grandmother what had happened during the morning meeting. Of course the grandmother was proud of the way she handled it.

"So Elena is back to being her sweet sensitive human self then?" Isabelle asked.

"Probably… She fainted so I'm not sure. We'll know more later when Stefan tells us." Bella replied.

"Good."

"By the way, I'm going out tonight, I hope that's okay." Bella informed her.

"Of course it's okay. Who are you going with? Is it a date?"

"No, I'm going with Damon, he's picking me up at 7 pm." Bella shook her head.

"So it's a date then."

"No it's not, I told him I wasn't ready for this and that we would only be each other's rebound, even if I was ready for anything like that. We're just going as friends." Bella denied quickly.

"Right… You know you can tell me anything Bella, I won't judge you. I actually like Damon and to tell you the truth, you wouldn't be the first Swan to have a crush on him. You two would be good for each other."

"I'm not dating Damon Grandma'! We're just friends. I'm not ready for more and that's it."

When she saw the older woman's doubtful look, Bella added:

"I would tell you if it was more, I have no reasons to hide anything."

"Very well. Try not to worry too much then. Just be yourself, don't be nervous." Isabelle nodded before she left the room.

"I wasn't nervous!" Bella yelled after her grandmother who chuckled as she took the stairs to go in her room to get her dirty laundry.

Watching her grandmother walk away, Bella wondered if the elderly woman had been among the Swan ancestors who had fallen for Damon's charm in the past. She was about to call her back in to ask her about it but she suddenly changed her mind. Did Stefan know if anything happened? Wouldn't it be weird for her grandmother to be with Damon when his little brother was her godfather?

Shaking her head, Bella decided not to think about this. She didn't want to know. Well, she did want to know but she was better off not knowing. Knowing would make everything too weird, especially if she ended up deciding to give Damon a chance.

.

Bella decided to take a fast shower before she got ready for her not-date with Damon. Her grandmother had made her nervous and now she felt like she was going on a first date. What was worst was that she was actually feeling guilty about the way she was feeling. Edward's face kept coming up in her mind every time she thought about her dinner with Damon and it hurt every time. She didn't know what to do. She had tried to cast on herself the same spell that she cast earlier on Damon but it didn't work.

Sighting, she decided to let it go for now and got dressed so Damon wouldn't have to wait. She didn't want him to have time to talk with her grandmother who could push him into thinking this was a date: It wasn't!

.

When Damon arrived, Bella repeated to herself one more time that it wasn't a date and that she wasn't nervous.

"Bella, don't you look pretty tonight!" Damon exclaimed when she opened the door for him.

"You always say that, how can I know if you really mean it or if you're just trying to charm me?" She asked, looking up at him.

"But I always mean it, you're always pretty my Bella, no matter what you're wearing." he promised.

"Right… Grandma' I'm going. See you later." Bella yelled to her grandmother who was watching her favorite show.

The old woman yelled back:

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

Bella blushed and Damon chuckled as she followed him to his car.

"So, where are we going? The Grill?" Bella asked him when he started his car.

"Tonight is a special night, so no, not the Grill." Damon shook his head.

"You better not have overdone anything Damon, this is just two friends having dinner together." Bella warned him.

"I know it is, for now."

"What do you mean?" Bella asked confused.

"Well, it won't be long until you fall for my charms and then you will be ready to date me and accept my sweet kisses." He assured her confidently.

"You're so sure of yourself…"

"Because I know we'll end up together, even if it's just for a short time." Damon replied.

Damon parked his car in front of a simple Italian restaurant. He opened the door for her, helped her in her seat once they reached their reserved table. He was a perfect gentleman the entire evening. He made sure Bella had fun and laughed. He also made a point of not flirting with the waitress too much, just enough so they would be served first.

Bella couldn't help but think this was so different from the time she went to an Italian restaurant with Edward but she shook her thoughts away, she didn't want to think about Edward right now.

"So, didn't you have fun?" Damon asked her as he dropped her off that night.

"Yes, I did actually." Bella replied.

"Do I get a kiss?" He asked as he lean closer.

"Yes actually, you do." Bella nodded with a soft smile and Damon looked up, surprised.

"I do?"

"Yes, you get a kiss on the cheek for a very good evening between friends." She replied and kissed him softly on his left cheek.

He rolled his eyes but smiled. When Bella opened the door and turned around to say goodnight to him, Damon vamped out and held her back.

"What's going on Damon?" Bella knew he wasn't joking, something was going on.

"Blood, lots of it." He replied with a worried face.

They both got in the house, side by side. Bella did her best to breathe through her mouth so she didn't faint. They turned the light on and saw that it was a mess. Someone had obviously been fighting all over the hall. They followed the smell of blood to the living room. The old clock on the wall was broken, along with a lot of furniture. Behind the couch, Isabelle laid with a deep wound in her stomach and blood all around her.

"No!" Bella yelled before she fainted from both the smell and the shock.

.

While this was happening, in Forks, the Cullen's were finally done fixing everything that had been broken in their house. They were, however, arguing about whether or not they should look for Bella. Alice had been insisting they needed to go now but everyone was now suspicious of her and if they hadn't approached the issue, they didn't listen to her as much as they used to.

"I miss my best friend, we need to find her before she gets hurt." Alice insisted, trying to look convincing.

"According to what she did to the house, she won't be the one getting hurt. She'll be doing to hurting." Emmett replied.

"She asked for time, we should give it to her. It's the least we can do." Jasper agreed with Emmett.

He had had a bad feeling about his wife lately and he just didn't feel as close to her as he used to. It was like she wasn't the same anymore. Maybe she had always been like this and he was just starting to open his eyes on her true self. He had been emotionally weak when she entered his life and now that he thought about it, she would have been able to fake her feelings to manipulate him to her will.

.

Alice was getting really impatient.

Everyone was slowly escaping her influence and even Jasper found excuses not to be intimate or alone in her presence anymore. Ever since they had read Bella's letter, they all made sure not to be alone with her.

Of course, they all remembered that it had been her fault if they left. She told them the party would go without any problems and then later she told Edward that Bella would die in a lot of suffering if they didn't leave her with a clean break immediately. She even managed to fake a disastrous vision to show him what he needed to see in order to agree with her.

Why did she do it?

Simply because she could see that Bella was steeling the attention that rightfully should have been hers. Also she couldn't see much, she knew that Bella would have ruined her perfectly planned out future but now she wanted her back. She wanted a weak and emotionally doubting Bella so she could manipulate her to do what she wanted. Bella would be back in her claws and would become her personal little slave, along with the rest of the Cullen's.

.

"Damon, how is she?" Stefan asked his brother when he came down the stairs.

Stefan had stayed with Isabelle until she was stable, then he had asked Anna and Caroline to stand watch while he came to check on Bella and looked for clues that could reveal the identity of his goddaughter's assailant.

"She's sleeping, I'm just here to get something to drink and I'll go back up there to keep the nightmares away." He replied.

"Good, Isabelle is stable and protected. I just came to clean up a bit and look for clues." Stefan replied.

"Okay." Damon nodded and he was about to go back up the stairs when his brother asked him:

"Are you going to call Enzo back in town to help us?"

"I'm considering it. I know he'll come." Damon replied.

"Maybe you should, I have a bad feeling about this."

"I'll call and ask him to stay close just in case." Damon nodded, getting his phone out.

"Damon, I didn't expect you to call at this hour. What, bored of your little town life already? Because if you are, you're more than welcome to join me." Enzo greeted him.

"Actually, I might need you to come here." Damon replied, seriously.

"Why? What's going on?" Enzo asked him, feeling the change in Damon's usual teasing tone of voice.

"An old friend of mine, human, was attacked. She's in the hospital and is stable for now but just in case her attacker is more dangerous than we think, I'd like to have you close and ready to help, if you don't mind." Damon explained.

"Of course, I'll start making my way back right now." Enzo agreed.

"We might not need you though, but just in case..." Damon added.

"Don't worry, if you don't need me, we'll celebrate your victory over this future dead person." Enzo cheered him up.

"Thanks, bro. Listen, I have to go but I'll call you back again soon." Damon added before they said goodbye and hung up.

Damon really hoped that he'd end up not needing Enzo's help on this, he wasn't ready for his old friend to be introduced to everyone in Mystic Fall's yet but, in case he was needed, he was glad to know that he could count on him to come and help. Of course he knew that Bella was powerful and that with her magic, she'd be able to defeat very powerful demons but he had to be ready for the possibility that she wouldn't be up to a fight.

Silently, Damon made his way back to Bella's bedroom and sat on the chair he had moved next to her bed. From there, he could enter her thoughts and make sure that her dreams weren't darkened by the events of the day. He wanted her to rest as much as possible, just in case their new enemy was stronger and more dangerous that they expected.

Visiting her dreams wasn't something he had initially planned on, he did it to keep the nightmares away but as son as he got in, he was introduced to Edward Cullen and from this point on, he couldn't help but look for more. He saw Edward and Alice Cullen, relieved with Bella how the boy who supposedly loved her more than anything left her behind in the woods, how her grandmother had given her something worth fighting for when she gave her her legacy. Damon simply planned on keeping Bella's nightmares away so she could have a well rested night before she took care of whomever harmed her grandmother but it also allowed him to get to know her much more.

She definitely wasn't like every ordinary girl. She was special and he wanted her to like him and be his because he could feel that being loved by someone as special as Bella would make him someone special.

* * *

 **I hope you liked it.**

 **Thank you for the love you've been giving this story. I hope you'll like as much, if not more, as the first version of it.**

 **Review please?**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5 :_

Bella woke up in her bedroom and for a second, she felt like she had just woken up from an extremely bad nightmare. The images that came back to her memory couldn't have been real. She refused to believe it. She refused to believe that it was real.

She noticed that Damon was by her side, looking extremely tired and worried. His presence confirmed that it had really happened and Bella knew that she hadn't had any nightmares because of his presence, he had taken them away from her so she could get some rest and she didn't know if she was thankful for it or not.

She had really found her grandmother bleeding heavily on the floor of the living room. Damon wouldn't be by her side, with such a grave look on his face, if she had just dreamt.

"Damon where is Gram? What happened to her? Who did this?" She asked as soon as she started to remember everything.

"She's at the hospital, in a coma. I fed her my blood and it was enough to save her life apparently, at least her situation isn't deadly anymore. Caroline is watching over her right now and will call us as soon as she wakes up or if anything new happens." Damon had spoken in a soft voice that very few people had heard from him.

Bella knew that beside his tough exterior he truly cared about her grandmother and herself. They were family. He had watched her grandmother grow up and live her life, he was connected to Isabelle and felt like it was a member of his own family that had been hurt. She knew that he'd seek revenge too.

"Who did this?" Bella asked again as she sat up on her bed, decided to save her grandmother and to make things right.

"We don't know, I searched everything with Stefan and didn't find a clue, he's still looking for possible clues downstairs right now." Damon replied as he gently helped her up.

"I'm fine!" She snapped before she gave him a soft smile when she noticed his worried glance.

"As far as we can tell nothing is missing. We think that the… intruder left only seconds before we arrived. It was probably a supernatural being that heard us arrive and left before we could find them." Damon informed her as they headed downstairs.

"Bella, you're up! Good, I think I've found something." Stefan exclaimed when she arrived.

She could see on his serious face how worried he was about Isabelle but whatever he had found made him hopeful.

"What is it?" Bella asked.

She was serious now and wouldn't rest until she knew who hurt her grandmother and got her revenge.

"A red hair. A long wavy red hair. It's pretty hard to the touch too." Stefan replied as he showed it to them.

"A Cold one." Damon whispered before Bella snarled:

"Victoria!"

A few days ago she had told them all about James, Laurent and Victoria just in case Victoria decided to come and pay her a visit so they knew who she was talking about. They knew what happened between them and what reasons Victoria would have to come here.

"Why would she do that?" Stefan asked.

"Because James, her mate, died because of Bella. In her mind, it's probably enough to go after someone Bella loves." Damon explained.

"If she's a Cold one, how did this hair end up on the floor? They don't usually lose their hair this easily." Stefan asked.

"Grandma' probably tried to defend herself with magic, even if she's too weak. She has explosion as a power too, she probably tried to blast Victoria's head off and ended up injuring her a little with some hair gone." Bella suggested, seeing this possible scene and about a thousand more playing in her head on a loop.

As soon as she was done talking, Damon's phone rang. He spoke for a few seconds before he hung up.

"It was Caroline. Isabelle is waking up as we speak." Damon informed them.

"Let's go then." Bella decided, grabbing her purse and led the way out of the house and to Damon's car.

She knew that she was in no condition to drive herself right now. The car ride was quiet and when they arrived at the hospital, Damon and Stefan silently guided Bella to her grandmother's hospital room.

"Meredith left a couple of minutes ago and Isabelle just fell asleep again. She said it was a Cold One called Victoria. She didn't say anything, other that she was supposed to kill her. Her powers weren't strong enough but she said with a strong enough spell you should be able to destroy her." Caroline explained softly while she stood up to give Bella her seat.

"Thank you Caroline." Bella nodded before she sat down and got a note pad from her purse along with a pencil.

"You should go and rest, I'll stay until Grandma' wakes up and work on a spell to kill the bitch who dared put her through this." Bella told them all.

"Do you need anything?" Damon asked softly.

"No I don't… wait, yes you can help. Here is a list of things I'm going to need in order to track Victoria. Thanks." Bella wrote down the list of things she needed to track Victoria.

She wrote a candle, a map of the town, one of the country, one of the state, a crystal, Victoria's hair, a small rope… Damon looked at it, nodded, and gave Bella a kiss on the forehead before leaving the room along with Stefan and Caroline.

"Stefan, stay around until I get back, I don't want her doing anything stupid because of anger or grief." Damon ordered.

His brother nodded and sat on one of the plastic chairs in the corridor and Caroline followed Damon out.

.

Alice was shopping in Seattle with Esmee, Rosalie and Emmett. She guessed that Emmett only came because they didn't trust her anymore but she ignored it and relished in the fact she could still decide of their outfits for them. She was the puppet master and they were her puppets.

Sometimes, she imagined them all in a doll house, a miniature model of their house in Forks and she was standing over them, grabbing them, dressing them up and placing them wherever she wanted them to be.

She was looking for some lingerie that would help her seduce Jasper back when her phone rang and she looked at the message:

" **Victoria: couldn't finish the job, she had company coming. I'll get back to it as soon as she's out of the hospital.** ".

Alice smiled and replied:

" **Good, finish the job quickly and you'll be rewarded!** "

Alice smiled a big bright smile. Not only had she found the perfect lingerie to have Jasper begging her for some action but her plan to ruin Bella emotionally was going well. She would destroy her and come back to her just in time to pick up the pieces.

.

Sitting in her hospital chair, Bella was working on the spell and so far, she had combined pieces of several spells she had read in the Book. It was one hell of a powerful spell and she was confident it would kill Victoria and make her suffer along the way.

Bella knew she had to warn her father so she went to the window, on the other side of the hospital room her grandmother was in and took her cell phone out, dialing her father's number:

"Bella, how are you doing? I wasn't expecting your call until a few more days." Charlie greeted her cheerfully, always happy to have her calling him.

"I'm at the hospital, Charlie. Grandma' had a… a little accident." She replied, taking a few second to wonder how it was that she didn't have a problem calling her grandmother grandma' but couldn't call her parent 'mom and dad' and automatically called them 'Charlie and Renee'.

"Is she okay?" He asked in a worried voice.

"She'll be fine, don't worry. You don't need to come, I just thought you needed to know." Bella told him in a soothing voice.

"When you say _'accident'_ , you mean the supernatural kind of accident?" He asked.

"Yes… But don't worry about this either, I'm taking care of everything." She reassured him.

"I don't want you to go and risk you life either Bella. Maybe Billy can send a couple of his wolf to help you." he suggested in a hesitant voice.

"I don't need the wolves' help. I assure you I'm perfectly fine dealing with this on my own, I know what to do."

"Can you assure me you won't get hurt?" he asked her.

"Yes Ch…Dad. I will be perfectly fine." Bella promised him.

"Okay, I don't really always understand how things work in your world… Anyway, I was debating whether or not I should warn you but since you called, mom would call it a sign or something…" Charlie started to say.

"What is it?"

"The Cullen's are back in town. They haven't been by yet, I know they're back because one of my deputies told me that Carlisle is back at the hospital." Charlie explained.

"Don't tell them where I am." Bella demanded in a hard voice.

"Won't Edward be able to find it in my head? You did tell mom he could read minds." He sounded worried.

"That won't be a problem, I've cast a protective spell on your mind, nobody will enter it." Bella told him.

"Good… Good." He replied, always uncomfortable with the supernatural world.

"Look, I have to go back to Gram's side before she wakes up, I'll call you back tomorrow with an update okay?" Bella asked.

"Sure, no problem, Bells… Whatever it is you do, please be careful okay?" He asked her.

"Of course I will dad." Bella replied softly.

"I mean not only with the supernatural. Your grandmother told me how you've been getting along with the oldest Salvatore. Please, use protections, I'm too young to be a grandfather." Charlie sounded truly worried and Bella blushed, knowing that Stefan, on the other side of the door, could hear everything and was probably making fun of her right now.

Would he tell Damon about this conversation he overheard?

"Dad… I can't believe she told you that! We're just friends. It's not like that."

"Sure it's not Bells."

"I assure you dad…" Bella was blushing and by her father's tone, he knew it and was amused by it.

"Okay Bells, I'll believe you for now. Anyway, I have to go meet Billy and Harry to eat. Take care Bella okay." She could hear him closing some box on the back ground.

"Okay dad, I will. Have fun. Bye." She was smiling softly, knowing he would hear it over the phone.

"Bye." He replied before he hung up.

As she was about to put her phone down, Bella saw that she had some messages from last night that she hadn't seen.

 **Billy Black:** **The Cullen's are back in town and keeping mostly to themselves beside the doc working.**

Bella chuckled, it seemed that Billy had learned the art of text messaging. She chuckled, picturing Charlie, Billy, Old Quill and Harry sitting down in a row, learning from someone younger, maybe Jacob or Leah, the art of sending text messages. She replied quickly a _thank you_ and that she was grateful he kept her informed.

 **Sam:** **Just back from patrolling. The Cullen's are suspicious of Alice.**

She smiled and replied:

 **"Good. I think Alice got another Cold one to attack my Grandmother. Things are under control for now. Keep me informed."** Bella sighted when she saw the next message was from Jacob.

He just never gave up.

 **Jacob:** **Just got introduced to the Pack. When are you coming back? We could go out sometimes, I'm not a kid anymore.**

Bella sighted. Jacob didn't seem to want to listen, she didn't count the number of hours she spent on the phone, trying to get him to understand why she went to Mystic Falls and why she didn't like him that way. She decided not to reply to him and went back to her seat next to her grandmother.

She was putting the finishing touches on the Cold One destroying spell when Damon came back with what she asked for and brought another chair in the room to wait with her.

"You don't have to do this you know." She told him.

"Don't worry, I want to." He assured her, putting his hand over hers and squeezing slightly.

"Thank you." She nodded.

He just nodded back, knowing now wasn't the time to add anything else. He watched as Bella cast some spell on the crystal, then spread the country's map in the nearby table. She used the red hair and held it in the same hand as the crystal while she let it turn on top of the map. It landed on their area so she got a map of the state and it landed on the Mystic Fall's area.

Before she could do the same with Mystic Falls' map, she saw her grandmother moving from the corner of her eyes.

"Grandma'! How are you doing, are you okay?" Bella asked as she rushed to the woman's side.

"I'm fine now… It was…"

"I know, I wrote a spell and I'm trying to locate her right now. Don't worry, everything is being taken care of." Bella replied in a soothing voice while her grandmother smiled in relief.

They stayed with Isabelle until Meredith came by to check on her and they went to wait in the corridor. Soon, Meredith called them back in:

"Well, thanks to the vampire blood she got, she's back to her previous state. I'll keep her overnight though and release her only tomorrow morning." The doctor decided.

"Good, thanks Meredith." Bella replied before Doctor Fell left the room.

"Damon, can you ask Stefan, Anna or Caroline to stay here tonight? I have some hunting to do and I know you'll want to come with me." Bella asked.

"You know me so well." He smiled before he got his cell phone out and left the room.

"Be careful Sweet Bell, I don't want you to go risking your life for me now. I don't want us to be in a double room in here." Isabelle warned her.

"Don't worry, Victoria and I, we need to have a little conversation. I don't know why she went after you but I'll figure it out."

"Anna and Caroline decided on a vampire girl's night here." Damon told them when he got back in.

Bella nodded and went back to the table where she pulled Mystic Falls' map and turned the crystal on top of it. Suddenly, the crystal went straight to her street and kept moving from her house to the woods in a constant speed, then it would do a wide circle in the woods, run through the next street before coming back in front of the Swan's house. They watched the crystal doing the same travel over the map for 20 minutes and it was obvious Victoria was running in a constant speed all around the place.

"She's waiting for something." Damon realized.

"Let's make sure she gets it then." Bella replied in a hard voice that Damon couldn't help but find hot.

"Are you sure you're ready Bells?" The injured woman asked.

"I am." Bella replied before grabbing the spell, the map and the crystal (with the hair), her purse and walking out, followed closely by Damon who didn't want to let her out of his sight.

"Protect her Damon!" Isabelle whispered before they closed the door.

He looked back at her and nodded seriously before closing the door and following the younger Swan out of the hospital.

.

While Damon drove in the general direction of the Swan house, Bella declared:

"We should go straight to the woods, I don't want to do this somewhere people could get hurt." Bella still had her super serious look and Damon really liked this second side of her.

"Good idea." He replied obeying her orders while trying to keep his thoughts off of how sexy she was now.

Damon drove really fast, knowing that he'd be able to explain it to Liz if he ever got a ticket and they arrived only 7 minutes later. Bella looked at the map before they left the car.

"She just left. If she keeps her speed up she'll be here in about 10 minutes, let's go" Bella declared, leading them both in the dark forest.

"Into the woods we go…" Damon started singing before stopping when he saw Bella's hard look.

"I'll take her here. I won't need you, this is between her and me, you're just here to calm Gram's nerves." Bella told him.

She was in full revenge mode right now and he knew that if he got in the middle of the fight, he would end up getting hurt, if not killed.

"Are you sure you don't want me to hold her down or something?" He asked, worry clear in his voice.

"If you do you could die along with her, this spell is pretty strong." Bella shook her head before Victoria arrived and stopped right in front of them.

"Well, if it isn't the Cullen's little pet…" The red haired spoke in a high voice and in a bitchy tone.

"Victoria, you and I have a score to settle." Bella replied.

"Oh really? The way I see it, you took my James away from me, I take your dear grandmother away from you. An eye for an eye and all that." Victoria told her in a wicked way.

"I didn't take James from you, the Cullen's did. Alice saw what would happen and could have saved his life by not letting me to go to that baseball game. She's the one who planned all this." Bella explained.

"You're lying!" Victoria screech and Bella couldn't help but wonder why she reacted so strongly at the mention of Alice's actions.

She must have been right in her suspicions of Alice's involvement in all of this.

"No I'm not, I'm just stating a fact." Bella told her simply.

Victoria growled and Bella could hear Damon growl back behind her. Victoria however ignored him and charged for Bella who used her powers to throw her back against the trees that were on the other side of the clearing. Of course the tree didn't survive the choc but Bella didn't care. She'd apologize to the nymphs of the woods later for the damage, right now she had other things to think about.

"Didn't Alice warn you Victoria? I'm all juiced up now!" Bella informed Victoria with a false worried expression before she smiled.

"How did you know I was working for Alice?" Victoria asked before she charged again and was, once again, thrown back.

Damon saw a little shiny object falling from Victoria's pocket and when the woman stood and ran back to Bella, Damon quickly went to get it. It was a cell phone.

"You just told me." Bella smirked.

This time, when the feral female charged, looking angrier than ever, Bella simply held her in place.

"You shouldn't have come after me Victoria. Tonight I'm playing Judge, Jury and Executioner. _Hell spawn, Cold one, creature of death, fire shall take your very breath._ "

Bella took a small break long enough to see flames slowly burning Victoria. It looked like they were caressing her softly. After a couple of seconds, Bella kept reading:

" _Evil is a faithful foe, but good does battle best. I, witch, will, with these words, waste this Cold One's evil zest."_

Bella stopped again a couple of seconds to see Victoria's stone skin cracking slowly and, judging by her screams, painfully:

" _Time for amends and for the victim's revenge. Cold one, hide your evil face. Cold one, die and leave no trace._ "

The screaming red haired Cold One exploded in one giant fire with one last scream and soon, nothing was left to prove she was ever here.

"Remind me never to upset you, Bella." Damon complimented her.

Bella fell on her knees, crying.

"Bella, are you hurt? Is something wrong?" He asked in a frantic tone.

He was sure that she hadn't been hurt in the fight but maybe he had missed something.

"I've never killed anyone before in my life." She explained.

"She was evil, she killed countless other people in the past." Damon replied.

"It's still a life that I took, it hurts. I was never one to kill or go for the violent solution but today, I just wanted revenge." Bella was still in tears and Damon took her softly in his arms before saying:

"It's okay. You have these powers so you can destroy evil beings like her. She wasn't sorry for what she did. You did the world a favor. Come on, I'll take you home, we'll get Ice cream and everything." Damon told her as he softly guided her to his car.

On the way, he quickly texted Stefan, Caroline and Anna, telling them that everything was fine and dealt with. He knew the girls would tell Isabelle as soon as they got it and knew she would worry until she got the news that Bella was fine.

Their ride was quiet. When they arrived at the Swan house, Damon guided Bella inside.

"You go and relax in your room, I'll be right there with the Ice cream okay?" He told her softly.

"Thank you Damon… For everything." Bella nodded.

.

When she got in her room, Bella went immediately in her shower and changed into some more comfortable clothes. She got back in her room to see Damon was there, waiting for her with her favorite Ben and Jerry Ice cream. She smiled. Maybe she could give him a chance after all. He had a phone that wasn't his in his hands.

"What is this?" Bella asked as she climbed in the bed in front of him.

"Victoria's phone, there's no name but she did sent a text message about hurting your grandmother." Damon explained as he handed her the phone.

Bella looked for it a while and said:

"Do you think I should tell her I killed Victoria and know she's responsible for it or not?" Bella asked him.

"If you do that she will just send someone else after Isabelle and you. Maybe you should pretend to be Victoria and reply that the job is done or something." Damon suggested.

"Good idea." Bella nodded before she typed:

" **The job is done. She's dead."**

"It's sent!" Bella told him as she grabbed the box of Ice cream Damon handed her.

Before they had time to do anything, the phone vibrated with a reply.

" **Destroy this phone and I'll see you where we agreed in 2 years for the second phase of my plan."**

"Well, I guess there won't be any problem for a while." Damon smiled.

"Until she runs into Charlie and discover his mother is still alive."

"At least it bought us a few months, or weeks." Damon replied, trying to help her see the bright side of this situation and Bella blushed at the way 'us' sounded in her heart.

She wasn't in love with Damon and she was pretty sure he wasn't in love with her either, but he truly cared and maybe he could help her move on.

Damon did his best to change Bella's mind and take it off what happened in the woods. It seemed to work and when she started to yawn, he told her to get some sleep.

"I'll be back tomorrow to go pick Is up from the hospital." Damon told her.

"Or you can stay in one of the guest rooms if you'd like." She suggested.

"Really? You don't mind?" Damon asked, surprised that she would want him this close to her.

"Of course not Damon."

"Okay then. You go to bed, I'll be in the next room. I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night Damon, thank you!" she said as they were both standing at her door.

Before she closed it, Bella decided to let him know she was giving him a chance by giving him a soft and shy kiss on his lips before she closed the door and went to bed.

However, once she was lying in her bed, under the soft covers, Bella felt extremely guilty again. Not only about killing Victoria who had been Alice's pawn she was sure of it, but also of moving on. She still loved Edward deep down. Was it really fair to Damon to start something with him now? Of course he knew it wasn't love yet and he didn't love her either. Bella fell asleep with those thoughts in mind.

Damon smiled and went to bed happy. Maybe it wasn't true love, maybe they'll end up finding out they're better as friends, but maybe they'll have a great love story in the end. He didn't know what would come next, but he was determined to work on it and try his best not to screw things up with her.

.

Alice was in her room, painting her nails and fuming over the fact that Jasper went to play video games with Edward instead of spending the night with her after she showed him her new lingerie when she got Victoria's message that **it** was done. She smiled at the knowledge of the pain Bella would be in soon.

If everything went according to her plans, and it looked like it was, she would have to go and see Charlie soon to beg him to tell her where she could find Bella to offer her support, or they'll just have to follow the man. After all, who doesn't go to his mother's funeral?

She got up and put a sad face on before she rushed downstairs, calling for everyone.

"What is it Alice?" Carlisle asked, not looking as concerned as he should have she decided.

"I saw, I just saw it. Bella's grandmother just died in an animal attack. We need to go find her. She needs our support, I've seen it." She told them in her best panicky voice and doing her best to look innocent.

"No!" Emmett exclaimed in a loud voice.

"I know, I'm shocked too but we have to find her!" Alice replied, thinking his yell was surprise over Bella's grandmother's fate.

"I mean no, we're not. Bella asked for some time and until Charlie informs people of his mother's death, we're not going anywhere." Emmett replied, making sure that they all understood that he was going to fight for it this time.

"I agree… We don't want to anger her anymore than we already have." Esmee agreed.

"But she needs us _now_!" Alice exclaimed, insisting on the last word.

"Maybe Alice has a point. We can't leave Bella alone like this in a time of need." Edward pleaded.

He had been especially emotional lately and didn't seem to know what to believe anymore. Deep down, he knew that there was something weird going on with Alice but it didn't really register in his conscious mind. He knew that Alice wanted Bella as a part of their family, like he did and at the moment, he didn't care if her plans for his Love were different than his. He didn't care if Alice planned something terrible for Bella, all he wanted was her to be with him. The fact that Alice might plan to make Bella miserable didn't matter to Edward, because at least she'd be with them.

"Edward, she's mad at us because we didn't consider her wishes. If we want her to forgive us some day we need to give her time. I heard Charlie telling Billy Black he told Bella we were back in Forks. She knows how to contact us if she needs us." Carlisle denied him in a soothing tone while Alice was on Edward's other side, trying to influence him while he was still vulnerable.

"Edward, we could go after her, just the two of us, if they don't care enough to come with us." Alice told him in her mind.

"Alice, stop trying to influence him! I've had enough and I know I'm not the only one. You're going too far. We are leaving Bella alone. Coming after her now would only result in her getting angry and by the state of the house when we came back it wouldn't end well for us." Rosalie snapped in a forceful voice, pushing Alice away from Edward and soothing the vulnerable eternal teen, bringing him between Emmett and her as she did.

Alice was mad but played it off as simple irritation. Nobody here knew that beside little visions of the future (actually much smaller and weaker that she told her family), she had the gift of disguising her emotions and thoughts. She had been using that a lot since meeting the Cullen's while she formed her plan. She would give them a few more days, maybe even weeks and if she couldn't get control back, she would just go on her own. She already had Victoria on her side, along with a few very weak nomads who had been easy to bring to her cause.

She was confident that she'd find more allies easily.

.

The next morning, Bella woke up to the smell of pancakes. Damon was just coming in her room again and was carrying a tray with a full breakfast on it.

"Good morning beautiful!" he greeted her in a cheerful tone before sitting in from of her and sharing her breakfast.

"Well, I don't need to ask **you** if you had a good night." she replied with a smile.

"How could I not? This very beautiful girl gave me a great kiss before I went to bed last night. It was all I needed to have beautiful dreams." He smiled before he put a piece of pancake in his mouth.

"It was just a peck, and I don't think I want to know about your dreams." She shook her head with a blush.

"You're right, you're not ready my sweet little innocent Bella." He nodded cockily before he bent forward and said "But you're ready for this." and he kissed her.

Bella pulled away blushing after a while and replied:

"We're going slowly with this."

"Sure, whatever you want." He replied with a smile as they went back to their breakfast.

When she was done, Bella got dressed while Damon went to wait downstairs and they both left for the hospital.

.

As soon as they arrived in the hospital, Damon took Bella's hand in his softly. She was surprised by this gesture, thinking it didn't really fit the man but shrugged it off when he smiled back at her and squeezed her hand, telling her he did it because he wanted to…

Isabelle was awake and ready to go home when they entered her room. Doctor Fell was already with her and after a quick exam she discharged the old woman, reminding her she needed to rest now.

"So, what happened between the two of you?" Isabelle asked when she noticed they came in holding hands.

Bella followed her grandmother's eyes to Damon's hand holding hers and blushed. She had to admit that this gesture seemed un-Damon like...

"Hum… well…" Bella started, still blushing. She didn't really know what to say or how to say it.

"Bella decided to give me a chance to help her move on from Assward. We're dating now." Damon said like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"But we're taking things **very** slow." Bella added, feeling the need to justify herself.

It was a reminder for the both of them. Damon smirked and kissed her cheek before whispering in her ear "We'll see how long you can hold…" Bella blushed once more.

"Well, I'm happy for you… Who needs true love anyway? You're both young and full of life, you should have fun!" Isabelle replied before she took the lead out of the hospital.

.

Once in the car, Isabelle insisted she sat in the back, telling them a story about the backseat being more comfortable than the front one. After Damon started the car, Isabelle asked:

"I'm curious, how did it go last night with the Cold one?"

Bella described everything and Damon added his point of view of things. Bella handed her grandmother the paper with the spell she used on it.

"Looks great Bells…Looks to me like you're going to add your first entry to the Book of Shadows." Isabelle said with a proud look in her eyes.

As soon as they got home they both helped the old woman to get comfortable in her room and Bella went back down to get her snacks.

"I'll go home for a bit and come back in a while with several pairs of arms to clean up the living room… Don't do anything until then, okay?" He told her while she heated some water for her grandmother's tea.

"You don't have too, I can take care of it…" she said with a smile.

She loved the way he looked at her and made her feel not only like a pretty woman but like his equal. It was a feeling much better than what she felt when she was with Edward.

"I want to, and I know the others will want to help too. Elena especially… Stefan told me she wants to do something to show you she's not the bitch you got to know. I also know that Jenna wants to thank you for convincing everyone to let her in on the secret." He replied.

"Okay then. Why don't we make a day out of it? You all come for lunch and we'll spend the rest of the afternoon cleaning. This way someone will always keep company to Grandma'." Bella suggested as she nodded and smiled at him.

"Good." He replied with a smile as he walked closer to her, trapping her between the kitchen sink and himself.

"Do I get a kiss before I have to go?" he asked her.

She gave him a shy smile as she looked at him from under her eyelashes and nodded. He came closer and kissed her softly at first. His hands were on her hips while hers where on his chest. Soon, she parted her lips to let his tongue inside her mouth. After a while, Damon was the one who pulled away. Bella whimpered.

"Not that I'm not enjoying this but you're the one who insist we take this slow…" He reminded her with a proud smile.

"Right… Give me a minute to remember why that is." She chuckled.

"I have to go, I'll be back soon pretty Bells." He said before he gave her yet another kiss and left the house.

Also before he opened the front door, he turned her way and blew her a kiss and winked at her before he left and closed the door behind him.

Bella stayed against the counter for a while, touching her lips with the tip of her fingers, thinking about the great kiss she just experienced. Edward was far away from her mind right now. She was brought back to earth by the water boiling. She prepared a tray with the tea, some cookies her grandmother loved and a few other sweets and carried the whole thing to the second floor and her grandmother's bedroom.

Together, they called Charlie and after that Bella told her grandmother what the plan was for later and after talking for some time she went down to the kitchen to prepare some lunch, leaving her grandmother to the reading of Bianca Swan's diary.

.

Bella prepared a big plate of pasta with different sauces for lunch and was confident there would be enough for everyone.

By the time the doorbell rang, everything was ready. The first to arrive were Stefan, Elena and Damon. Stefan went immediately upstairs to check on his Goddaughter and Elena followed him, right after greeting Bella. Damon kissed his new girlfriend, went to the kitchen to put away the peach pie he had brought and came back to stand by her side. He put a hand around her waist when the doorbell rang again. This time it was Jenna, Alaric, Jeremy and Anna. Apparently, Anna and Alaric got along well and the girl lived with him now. Officially, he was her uncle. After them Caroline arrived with her mother. They were followed by Tyler and his parents.

"Carol, Richard, Liz, I didn't know you were coming…" Bella exclaimed.

"Well, your family had always done a lot for this town and we want to help." Liz replied.

"And you saved my life Bella, the least I can do is get my hands a little dirty for you." The mayor added with a kind smile.

"No offence Carole but I don't really picture you doing the cleaning or the heavy lifting…" Damon commented.

"None taken, I figured I'd find something to do…" She replied with a smile.

"Yeah, mom is good to boss people around." Tyler replied as he went to join the others in the dining room.

"Well, Carole could keep me company, I'm sure she'll love having a look into Bianca Swan's diary." Isabelle suggested as Stefan and Elena helped her down the stairs.

"Oh, I'm sure she will!" Bella chuckled before showing everyone to the dining room.

They all ate in a convivial mood, keeping to subject that had nothing to do with the supernatural or politics.

"Katherine tried to come in the house again last night." Tyler informed them when they reached desert.

"Really? This girl just doesn't give up…" Bella shook her head.

"The problem is bigger than that: Mason, my younger brother… Well, he triggered his curse. He said it was an accident but..." Richard started.

"You don't believe him?" Damon asked.

"I spoke with a friend of his after he told me what happened. He's been dating a vampire lately. Mason's friend texted me a picture. It's definitely Katherine. That or Elena had been having lots of fun in Florida lately." The mayor explained, showing them the picture of a curly haired Elena bending over a pool table with a sexy smirk on her face.

"She must think she'll be able to get inside the house once he comes back home…" Carole suggested, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I think you're right. She wanted Richard to die in the fire with the tomb vampires, it would have been the perfect opportunity for her to push Mason back here. Since he survived, she needs another excuse to come in." Isabelle guessed.

"I can cast a spell on Mason so he doesn't love her again." Bella offered.

"Will it actually work?" Tyler asked.

"Yes it will. She did it on me, worked like a charm." Damon replied as he put his arm around Bella's shoulders to let Tyler know that she was his.

"Doesn't he need to come here for that?" Carole asked.

"Not necessarily, I could adjust the spell. All I would need is something that is his." The young witch replied.

"You're so good.!You can do so much… I'm impressed! I guess girls can be pretty, smart and powerful." Tyler complimented her with a flirty smile, getting a glare from Damon and an eye roll from his parents.

They finished their lunch and while everyone was cleaning, Bella quickly went upstairs to see what she could do to help Mason. She found a potion that had to be sprayed on him. It was quite easy to prepare and she decided to do it now. After about 30 minutes, she went back downstairs and handed Richard the vial.

"It has to be sprayed on him or on something he wears often. You can mix it with perfume or after-shave." She explained.

"Great, thank you." Richard nodded, kissing Bella's cheek before he put the small vial in his wife's purse.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in laughter. Bella learned that Caroline had told her mother what happened to her and Liz had accepted it. She trusted her daughter to do the right choices and Bella liked that right now, nobody in her trusted circle had secrets for each others. She also learned some surprising and chocking news about Liz and Charlie dating back in high school.

"Can you believe it Bella? We could have been sisters!" Caroline squealed when she learned the story Liz was saying.

"It's… weird… thinking of my dad with someone… Even with my mother I've never seen them very lovey-dovey…" Bella answered.

"He never dated after your mother left?" Liz asked.

"No… Never… I always thought he just never got over her or that he simply wasn't interested. We don't really talk about this kind of things… I even considered him being gay at some point." Bella replied, frowning at the idea of her father sharing his love life with her.

They weren't a couple of Gilmore Girls, neither of them were and speaking about matters of the heart was painful and uncomfortable for the both of them.

.

The rest of the afternoon went by without any problems. They all had fun and in the end, only the boys where working, cleaning up and putting things right downstairs because all the girls were upstairs with Isabelle, discussing the journal of Bianca Swan and all the secrets and tips she gave. It was a side of history they didn't know and they liked reading about it.

"So, what happened to her?" Elena asked.

"She was hanged along with the other courtesans during the Great Inquisition." Isabelle replied.

"Why didn't she use her powers to free herself?" Caroline asked.

"Because it was a very public execution and using magic would have exposed the supernatural world to a lot of people. She had to die, for the greater good. if she had exposed herself, a lot of other people would have been killed because of her." Isabelle explained.

In the end, after everyone left, Stefan stayed with Isabelle to keep her company while Damon took Bella out on a date. He was determined to do this right and to show her he could be a perfect gentleman.

.

Alice was hiding outside of Charlie's house and was mad. She just overheard a phone call from Bella who was telling him the old woman was out of the hospital and doing perfectly fine. She needed that old woman dead in order for her plan to work. Concentrating, she smiled when she got a vision about a vampire that would be perfect for the job. After a while, she got all the information she wanted. Taking out her cell phone she dialed the number she saw.

"Who is this?" A feminine voice answered after the first ring.

"My name is Alice, you don't know me but I know everything about you. Well, maybe not everything but enough to know we have common goals. We need to talk."

"How do I know I can trust you?" The pretty voice asked.

"I know you want Elena Gilbert dealt with, I know you want your freedom from Klaus. If you do this one little thing for me, I'll make sure you're safe from Klaus, from everyone."

"You can do that?" The voice sounded doubtful, yet hopeful.

"Yes, I most definitely can. I'm a very powerful Cold One, I can do a lot of things." Alice replied confidently.

"What can I do for you then, Alice?" The voice replied.

"Katerina…This is the beginning of a very beautiful friendship I can see it! We need to meet, it will be best. In two days, I'll send you the location by text message later." Alice said before she hung up.

Things just looked up again…

.

From her hotel room in Mystic Falls, Katherine grinned. Things looked up again. She would get rid of the new witch who took her Damon away, get rid of Klaus and Elena at the same time. She knew that eventually she would get things done her way. She already liked this Alice and couldn't help but be eager at the idea of meeting her.

* * *

 **I hope you liked it**

 **Review please?**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter 6 :_

Before she left to meet up with Alice, Katherine gave Elena one last warning that she needed to stay away from Stefan: she stabbed Jenna in the stomach. Well, she compelled Jenna to stab herself in the stomach but the result was the same in the end: Elena felt guilty and someone close to her was hurt.

She was actually quite proud of the result since she was now witnessing a heart breaking break up. If she still had this kind of emotions she would cry too. Actually, Damon and Bella, who were witnessing everything, had teary eyes, who knew Damon could be this emotional?

It had been surprisingly easy to sneak into the house and to switch Jenna's vervain tea and perfume for something else. It was their own fault for not revoking her invitation in the first place. Maybe they simply forgot that she had been invited in before Jenna had been clued in on everything but she didn't care. It had worked in her favor.

With a happy sight, Katherine ran back to the road and jumped in her car, driving as fast as she could to meet Alice mid-way.

.

Stefan, Damon, Elena and Bella were in the Boarding house.

Actually, Damon and Bella were chilling on the couch, reading different books in each other's arms and Stefan was on one of the armchairs, reading as well and waiting for Elena to come, as was planned. He was getting anxious because she was over 30 minutes late. He was about to go and see what was holding her back when she entered the large house, in tears, looking devastated. They immediately all rushed to her to see what was wrong.

She managed, between sobs, to tell them that Jenna was just admitted in the hospital and that it was a message from Katherine, one last warning before she killed someone important to Elena.

Elena was crying and having a hard time doing what she thought was right given the circumstances: breaking up with Stefan to protect what was left of her family.

"We tried Stefan…We tried to fool her and Jenna almost died for it. I can't lose anyone else, I can't go to anymore funerals." Elena was in tears and looked hopeless, like Katherine had burned every last bit of hope she had left in her for the future.

Right now she reminded Bella of how she felt when Edward left her and she was feeling very sympathetic toward the human doppelganger.

"Maybe we could try a spell or something…" Stefan pleaded in a desperate tone, looking just as destroyed as Elena.

He said that looking at Bella and before Bella could nod her agreement Elena shook her head:

"No! No more magic, no more spells. I'm tired of having to fight constantly to have a semblance of a normal life. I'm just… tired Stefan." Elena was so sad she had a hard time standing.

Bella rushed to Elena's side and held her up.

"I can fight for the both of us!" Stefan assured her, crying.

Damon, who hated seeing his brother in this state, went to stand by his side and give him what little support he could.

"I know you might want that but who will be the next one to die in this fight? You? Jeremy? Alaric? Jenna? Damon? Bella? Bonnie? I can't lose anyone else Stefan. It's just… Katherine won, okay… It's over…" Elena was barely whispering the last word.

It was obvious that it physically hurt her to say it. It felt like saying the words stabbed her very soul.

"Can you take me home please?" Elena asked Bella in a weak whisper.

Bella nodded and helped Elena out the door. She just had time to exchange a look with Damon: a silent promise to help Stefan and Elena through it. Damon was standing by his brother and was comforting him also, whispering to him that they would find a solution, that everything would be fine and not to give up hope.

.

Bella had taken Elena back to the Gilbert house and texted Bonnie, Anna and Caroline to come over. She was grateful that Jeremy was still at the hospital with his aunt and texted him to stay out as long as possible to give his sister some girl alone time.

Elena needed a girl's night in right now and that's what they would give her. While Elena was busy crying in her bath tub, Bella made sure the girls would bring everything that was needed from movies to sweets without forgetting the boxes of tissues. she took a minute to wonder if she would have reacted better to Edward leaving her of she had had Angela and Jessica over for a girl's night. Shaking her head out of these pointless thoughts, she took her phone out and dialed her grandmother's number.

"Hey grandma', I won't come home tonight…" Bella started to say on the phone.

"Oh? Having a sleep over with Damon already? I thought you weren't ready for sex yet? I thought you wanted to wait until you were sure it could last." Isabelle asked and Bella could hear a smile in her voice.

"What? Oh no, not that! I'm staying with Elena. We're going to have a girl's night in." Bella defended herself with a deep blush on her face.

Sometimes, her grandmother seemed to have a one tracked mind.

"Does it have anything to do with Jenna being in the hospital?" The old woman asked.

Being part of the Founder's council was like being a VIP in a big gossip organization. She got the news before everyone else and directly from the source.

"Yes… Katherine did it as a message. Elena broke up with Stefan."

"Oh no…"

"Maybe you should spend some time with him and Damon, try and bring their mood up a bit." Bella suggested.

"Good idea, I'll go over there right now."

"No! You're not going out on your own Gram! I'll ask Anna to pick you up and drive you to the Boarding house on her way here." Bella replied in a _'do not discuss'_ tone.

"Okay… Fine, I'll wait for Anna." Isabelle agreed before hanging up.

Bella called Anna back quickly and the girl agreed to drive the old woman to the Boarding house. Turning around, Bella saw Elena behind her.

"Your Grandmother and Stefan, they're really close." Elena said.

"Stefan didn't tell you he was my grandmother's godfather?" Bella asked her.

"He just said she was like family. I wasn't really myself at the time so I didn't look further." Elena replied, still sniffing and obviously seconds away from crying again.

Bella nodded and motioned for Elena to go down to the living room where they brought lots of pillows and blankets.

When Anna arrived, she had a small bag with a pajama for Bella inside. Isabelle had thought of packing a bag for her. Bella was grateful since she knew she wouldn't have been comfortable in anyone else's clothes.

About an hour after the phone call, everyone was in the Gilbert house, in comfortable pajamas, eating sweets and candies, watching movies, using the boxes of tissues and cuddling. They watched sad movies, because somewhat when you see someone sadder than you, you feel a little better.

Bonnie still wasn't very comfortable around Bella but at least her behavior wasn't cold anymore. Anna had apparently gotten much closer to Elena lately and with all those people caring for her, Elena was feeling a little better.

.

After Isabelle arrived, Damon called Enzo, sent him a picture of Elena and asked his friend to keep an eye out for a vampire that looked like that.

"What do you want me to do when I find her?" Enzo asked him.

"If you find her, kill her and bring us the body." Damon replied, insisting on the IF.

"If?"

"She won't be caught this easily. She's been on the run for the past 500 years for some reason and if she's still alive, it means that that person didn't catch her yet. She's smart and cunning. Be careful." Damon warned him.

"Don't worry. I'll call you if I find her."

"Thanks buddy." Damon replied before he ended the call and went back to Isabelle and his brother.

.

The next morning, Bella woke up in Elena's bed. They were all sleeping on the bed and she wondered how they could all fit in it. She was holding Elena along with Caroline. Bonnie was behind Caroline and Anna was behind Bella. Anna had one leg hooked around Bella's legs and Bonnie had her arm draped over Caroline's head.

Wondering what woke her up, Bella looked up to see Jeremy with his cell phone, taking a picture of the 5 of them sleeping on the bed all together.

"How many did you take?" Bella asked him softly, trying not to wake up the others.

"A couple… Maybe 5… or 10." Jeremy smirked.

"Why?" Bella asked, confused.

"You girls are cute all snuggled up into one another." He explained.

"What will you do with them?"

"I already sent a couple to Damon, Stefan and Alaric. Might send one to Tyler too." He smirked again before leaving the room.

"What's going on?" Bonnie asked as she started to rise.

"Jeremy snuck in to take a few pictures of us sleeping." Bella explained as the others slowly woke up.

Once they all woke up, they made their way downstairs for some breakfast. They all prepared it together before they each went to their respective homes to get ready for the task they signed up for a few weeks ago. Indeed, they were all supposed to go and help prepare for the big Masquerade Ball the Lockwood's were giving.

.

They left Jeremy with his sister, hoping he would find a way to cheer her up before she went to see Jenna in the afternoon.

Bella went home and saw her grandmother was already up and dressed.

"How is Stefan holding up?" Bella asked.

"He's determined to fight for Elena. He wants to kill Katherine the first chance he gets."

"Well, that can be arranged." Bella replied, not against the idea of destroying another bitch.

"Damon says he'll see you this afternoon at the Lockwood's, he doesn't want to leave Stefan alone right now." Isabelle explained.

"It's understandable." Bella nodded her.

She understood why Damon wanted to stay with his brother. She would feel the same in his place.

"And how is Elena handling everything?" The old woman asked.

"It's hard… Watching her was like watching myself after Edward left. Last night helped her but I don't think she'll hold on for very long." Bella explain.

"Don't worry, we'll get Katherine eventually."

"I hope so. Too bad I'm not powerful enough to kill someone without them being here or she'd be dead already."

"Nobody is that powerful Bella. It wouldn't be fair." Isabelle explained.

"Yeah, I know. It would be like playing God." Bella nodded before she went to her room for a while to study magic.

When afternoon came around, Bella dropped her grandmother off at the hospital so she could keep Jenna company with Elena and not over do anything before she drove herself to the Lockwood mansion for some group work. She enjoyed preparing the house for the ball much more than she would enjoy dancing at said ball.

.

When she arrived, Bella knew Damon and Stefan hadn't arrived yet since their cars were nowhere to be seen. She was immediately welcomed by an overly smiling Tyler:

"Hey Bella, alone today?" he was obviously flirting with her and she didn't know how to let him down easy.

"I'm meeting Damon here actually." She replied with a friendly smile.

"Well, if I was to be lucky enough to date you, I wouldn't let you come all alone." Tyler said as he tried to get closer.

"Well, considering Katherine just forced Stefan and Elena to break up, Damon needs to be with his brother right now." She explained as she tried to move away every time he came closer.

"Right… So, I was wondering, would you like to have dinner with me tonight?" Tyler asked her with a flirty smile.

Bella blushed as she replied:

"I thought you knew I was with Damon now."

"Oh I do…" He replied.

"And you thought I would cheat on him with you?" She asked, cocking her head to the side.

She was slightly offended by that thought. Did she look like that kind of girl?

"It's just dinner Bella."

"Why do you insist so much if it's just dinner?" She asked him curiously.

"Because, we could see how well we'd work together. I'm human. You could have a human future with me." Tyler argued.

"Wow, you want me to believe that you're thinking about the future and having children already?" She asked doubtfully.

"Not really, just pointing out my good sides that Damon doesn't have!" Tyler chuckled.

"I'm sorry Tyler but I'm not that kind of girl. I'm with Damon right now. It means I'm not having dinner with other guys." Bella told him, not seeing Damon getting out of his car with Stefan.

He had obviously heard everything she just said in her answer to Tyler and it made him smile.

"Are you sure? Last chance to have the best evening of your life." Tyler asked her still smiling with his arms open in an invitation gesture.

"It's nice Tyler but I'm sure." Bella nodded.

Damon and Stefan were coming closer and neither Tyler nor Bella had seen them.

"I'll ask you again when you break up with him." Tyler promised her before turning around and walking back to the stand he was working on before coming to greet Bella.

"Well, I don't know if I should be glad my girlfriend didn't agree to go out with another guy or be offended that said guy implied we would break up soon." Damon said, surprising Bella who hadn't seen him. She jumped around and blushed.

"You should definitely be happy that I chose to stay with you when I have so many other options." Bella replied as they kissed Hello.

He knew about Jacob and the boys in Forks who had liked her and often teased her about it.

"Right, I might need to have a talk with Tyler later though." Damon said as Stefan rolled his eyes behind his brother.

They all knew what 'have a talk' meant.

"Or you could buy Bella a t-shirt that says 'Damon's girl' or something." Stefan suggested with humor.

"Please don't… Let it go… It's fine…" Bella assured her boyfriend as he put his arm around her waist.

"It's good for a girl's ego to be flirted on once in a while. That's what Lexi said anyway." Stefan added.

"When did she ever say that?" Damon asked curiously.

"When Bella summoned her spirit to talk to me. She told me that she was happy in the spirit world, a lot of cute boys and all that, she even reunited with an old flame of hers. She told me she was being flirted on by others and that it was good for a girl's ego." Stefan explained to them.

"Just like that she brought this information on? Sounds to me like she was bragging!" Damon replied before Bella elbowed him.

"Not at all. It came in the conversation after I told her how you were already flirting hard with Bella." Stefan replied.

"You never did tell us what the two of you talked about…" Damon said, curious about what the dead blond had shared with Stefan.

"She told me she really did forgive you. She wanted both of us to know it so we could finish healing our relationship. She knew that she was partly responsible for what happened." Stefan replied.

"Well, that was nice of her!" Bella exclaimed.

"Don't act like you didn't summon her for that purpose." Stefan chuckled as Bella kept her face as innocent as possible.

"What else did she tell you brother?" Damon asked his little brother, curious.

He always liked to know everything. Information was power, any kind of information was power.

"I don't think I'll tell you what else she said. Some of it is private, some of it won't interest you… Most of it will stay between Lexi and I." Stefan added with a smile as they arrived were Carole was dispatching the work to be done.

.

"Damon, Bella, Stefan! I'm glad you're here! Bella, do you think you could help Caroline with the masks? Boys, I need one of you to help Tyler and another one to go help set the lights." She dispatched.

"I'll go with Tyler!" Stefan decided quickly before he left.

Bella chuckled and quickly explained to Carole why. They didn't need Damon getting in a fight with Tyler now.

"Well, Tyler has been speaking a lot about you, I can talk to him if you'd like?" She asked.

"Don't worry, I will be alright. I can handle it." Bella replied as Damon pressed her tighter to his side in a possessive manner.

"Well, okay then, but come to me if it becomes too much." Carole made Bella promise before she directed someone else in the right direction.

"Well, you heard the woman… Play nice Damon!" Bella added.

"Of course I will. You know me! Have dinner with me tonight?" He asked with his trademark smirk she got to know.

"Okay then. But be good!" She agreed before they exchanged a quick kiss and went on their way to work on preparing the giant house for the big ball that made every girl dream of the perfect date.

.

The afternoon went by pretty fast. Bella had fun with Caroline and the blond vampire made fun of her when she was told how Tyler flirted earlier.

"Maybe you should give someone else a chance… Why are you with Damon if you're not even in love with each other?" Caroline asked Bella as Anna came with more supplies for the masks.

"I think that we're good for each other. We're helping each other move on." Bella explained.

"You think? You shouldn't have to think in a relationship, you should just feel." Caroline said as rolled her eyes.

"So he's your rebound and you're his?" Anna asked.

"I guess you could say it like this yes." Bella replied with a quick nod.

"What happens when he gets tired of being a nice boy that behaves and wants to start having sex when you're not ready to?" Caroline asked.

"Listen Caroline, I know you don't like him, mainly because of how he treated you when he first got back to town, but now that he's relieved of his love for Katherine and of the pain it brought him, he is different." Bella replied.

"You can believe it all you want Bella, I won't change my mind that Damon is going to end up hurting you one way or another." Caroline assured her witch friend.

"I've known Damon a long time and I have to agree with Bella on this. He does look different, but there is also the saying that a leopard doesn't change his dots for stripes or something…" Anna commented quietly as they all kept working on the masks.

Stefan was doing his best to work with Tyler while keeping his eyes out for Damon. He knew that even if his brother wasn't in love with Bella, he cared for her enough to be possessive of her. He knew Damon didn't like the idea of Tyler trying to get Bella out on a date with him. However, Damon seemed to keep his promise to Bella and played nice the whole afternoon long, which surprised Stefan and gave him some hope for the future.

Everything was calm and pretty peaceful until Tyler and Damon were the only one available to help carry a big ancient table. Although they didn't fight or hit each other openly, the table seemed to bump on their stomachs or their legs a lot. When Bella walked by and reminded them to play nice while Carole told them the table was an antique and they had to be careful not to break it, they finally stopped behaving like children. They both calmed down a bit and went back to work on different sides of the house, ignoring each other not to upset Bella.

.

The rest of the afternoon went by calmly and without incident and soon Damon and Bella were having dinner together at the Grill. After that, they took a walk under the stars.

"So… You're going to the Masquerade Ball?" Bella asked Damon, trying to hint that he hadn't asked her yet.

While she never really cared for fancy ball gowns, high heels and dancing, after spending the entire day decorating and hearing Caroline and Anna talk about the magic of it all, she couldn't help but want it. To have this one princess experience.

"Of course I'm going. We're going together, right?" He replied confused.

"Well, you never did ask me to go with you." Bella replied in an innocent tone.

"We're dating, I didn't know I had to ask you, I assumed it was part of the deal." Damon shrugged his shoulders carelessly.

"Part of the deal?" Bella stopped walking and looked back at him in shock.

"What? What did I say? When you date someone you go to things like that with them. It's the natural way things work." Damon replied.

"Well, as long as you don't ask the girl, she's free to think you're not going with her and to consider other options." Bella replied.

If Damon didn't see her point of view soon, she'd consider asking Tyler, just to show Damon that she was fine on her own and that he shouldn't take her for granted this soon.

"And who would you go with? I'm your boyfriend!" Damon snapped.

"I could always find someone. Tyler would be more than happy to ditch whoever he is taking to go with me, Stefan is free all of the sudden and we both know that he'll want to be at the ball to keep an eye on things." Bella stated as Damon started to growl.

"Don't mention that boy! Why don't you want to go with me?" Damon asked in an angry tone.

"I never said I didn't want to go with you, just that I'd like to be asked to the ball by my boyfriend like any normal girl." Bella replied as she angrily stomped off to her car and drove home without looking back at Damon.

She didn't really know why she was so angry. Maybe it was what Caroline said that was getting to her. Maybe she was afraid to fall for Damon right before he broke her heart. Maybe she was overreacting but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was right in wanting a simple invite to this ball. Every other girl got one so why not her?

At school, she had seen some girls receive very original and romantic proposals to this party. Even her grandmother had told her of the many cute ways her grandfather used to ask her every year, always finding a way to surprise her with his proposal.

Still upset, Bella drove back home, quickly greeted her grandmother and went right in her room to go to bed.

.

In Florida, Mason had received a package from his brother.

Richard had called him and explained a lot of things that were hard to believe but he couldn't bring himself to doubt his brother, after all he had never lied to him before so why would he start now?

He took the vial out of the box and didn't hesitate before he used it the way he was instructed to. The effect was almost immediate. He could feel himself getting free from the woman who had spent so many nights charming him into doing what he wanted. He quickly texted his brother that he got the vial and everything was fine before he went to bed.

The next morning, Mason was completely free of his feelings for Katherine and decided he would stay in Florida with his werewolves' friends instead of looking for the bitch and killing her. Apparently, the good people of Mystic Fall's had it under control and were handling it so why should he worry himself with this?

.

When she woke up the next morning, Bella realized she had overslept a bit but since she didn't have much planned she took her time getting ready before she went down for breakfast.

"Morning Grandma'." Bella greeted as she poured herself a glass of Orange juice to help wake her up.

"Morning Bella. It looks like Damon is sorry he assumed you'd go with him without him asking first. He left this for you." Isabelle showed Bella a big vase full of roses and a note attached to it in elegant handwriting:

" _I shouldn't have assumed,_

 _I'm sorry._

 _Please my sweet Bella,_

 _Will you do me the honor of being my date to the masquerade ball?_

 _Damon"_

"He said you could text him your answer." Isabelle declared after Bella read the note.

"Thank you." Bella said, putting the note down and starting eating her breakfast.

"You're not going to call him?" The elder woman asked.

"Not yet, he can handle a little bit of waiting." Bella shook her head.

"Is something else on your mind Sweet?" She asked, sitting down in front of Bella.

"It's just… Yesterday, Caroline told me things and it's not like I didn't know, I know how Damon was when he was with her but it got me wondering: What if I end up jumping all in this relationship to end up with a broken heart, or worst?" Bella asked her grandmother, the only grown woman she trusted with her personal issues.

"You can't stay away from potential happiness all your life because you're afraid of having your heart broken Bella. Life is messy and sometimes, you end up with your heart broken, it's just the way things are. You just have to be confident enough that you're strong enough to stand back up and mend your heart." Isabelle replied to her beloved granddaughter.

"I'm not even sure my heart is fully healed yet, thinking of _Him_ still hurts sometimes and Damon isn't exactly Prince Charming material." Bella argued.

"I wasn't aware that you were looking for a prince charming Sweet. I know the books you read, I know who your favorite characters are and why. You don't root for the perfect guy and the nice girl, you root for the nice girl that can help the bad boy become a good guy for love. You like a little darkness in a man." The wise grandmother argued.

"Maybe you're right, maybe Damon can change… He has been on his best behavior recently." Bella thought out loud.

"There you go. Now make sure he knows he has a date."

"Not yet, I'll let him wait until I'm done eating breakfast, and I'm feeling particularly famished this morning." Bella replied, making her grandmother chuckle.

Once she was done eating, Bella cleaned behind herself in the kitchen and finally got her cell phone out of her pocket to text Damon:

" **The flowers are perfect. Yes, I'll go with you."**

Apparently Damon was waiting by his phone for her answer because a few seconds later she got a reply:

 **"I'll pick you up around 7 pm. Stefan is coming with us."**

Bella smiled and finished her breakfast before she went in the garden for a while to help her grandmother taking care of the herbs and everything. She still had a lot to learn.

"I have a bad feeling about tonight Grandma'. Katherine is going to be there and she knows we'll try to hurt her. She has to have a back-up plan, according to what I know of her, it's totally her style." Bella told her grandmother.

"What do you think she'll do?" The old woman asked.

"I don't know. She knows we want to protect Elena. If I was in her place I'd get a witch to link me and Elena so everything that happens to me also happens to her." Bella replied.

"You may be right, we know Katherine has a way of getting witches to work for her. Maybe you should cast a protective spell on Elena, just in case."

"Not a bad idea, will you be okay here alone for a while? I should go up and work on it now." Bella asked, concerned for her still recovering grandmother.

"Of course I'll be fine, go." Isabelle nodded before Bella kissed her cheek and went up to her magic room to prepare things for the evening to come.

While in there, she called Elena and asked her to come by really quick so she could protect her in case Katherine tried something and Elena happily agreed.

.

Katherine had just gotten back to her hotel room in Mystic Falls and was choosing a dress to impersonate Elena at the Masquerade Ball.

She was smiling. She had everything under control. Lucy, a Bennett witch she knew was in the next room, getting ready also and everything was ready for the first phase of her new plan.

Not feeling the dresses she had gotten, Katherine turned around to the bag Alice had given her the previous afternoon after their meeting. The girl was good. The dress was perfect.

Smiling again, Katherine remembered their meeting. Just like Alice had said, it was the beginning of a very beautiful friendship. The two of them were so similar and had connected immediately.

"Hello Katherine, it's nice to see you in the real world!" A pixie like girl exclaimed as she came to sit in front of her.

She was in the food court of some mall and had several shopping bags at her feet.

"Alice I presume?" Katherine asked.

Alice nodded and they both proceeded to get to know each other for the next couple of hours while shopping some more. It was actually fun and both of them enjoyed having a friend they didn't have to manipulate.

"So, what do you want me to do for you exactly?" Katherine asked after they left Victoria's secrets with their arms full of bags.

"I need you to kill Isabelle Swan and make a spectacle out of it. Bella needs to find her grandmother dead." Alice replied.

"I suppose I can't kill Bella too? She stole my Damon." Katherine complained when Alice shook her head no.

"Don't worry, when I'm done with Bella she'll be broken and you'll be able to have your fun with her." Alice replied, already liking Katherine a lot.

"When do I need to do it?" The Petrova vampire asked.

"As soon as possible, I can't have Bella being this happy and confident for too long, it would ruin everything I've worked for during the past century." Alice replied.

"I'll get on it right after the ball." Katherine decided.

"Make sure it's messy, Bella needs to be I complete shock." Alice added as they entered a shoe store.

After that, Alice shared most of her plan with Katherine, a sign she trusted her greatly. It was like they had always been meant to meet, always been meant to work together on this specific project and many more future ones.

In exchange, Katherine had told her more about what she wanted to do, how she managed to break Elena and Stefan up and how she would do more damage to the town that had been built where Klaus was born so long ago.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure to get Klaus off your back. When everything is dealt with, the two of us will be unstoppable." Alice exclaimed cheerfully.

They spent some more time together, prepared a few emergency plans and went on their separate ways. They would stay in touch all the time now. They had common goals and a budding friendship to grow.

Shaking her memories off, Katherine slipped Alice's dress on and worked on straightening her hair to look like Elena's.

.

Bella was done with her preparations for the evening. She was showered, had a small bag packed with enchanted crystals to create a cage around Katherine, as well as a few spell breaking spells that would be useful to free Elena from possible manipulation.

Bella asked Elena to stay home and make sure she was with Jenna and Alaric until they got Katherine. This way, if something happened, they would be able to text Bella right away and inform her of it. The protection spell she had placed on the human doppelganger should be enough to prevent Katherine from using her but she could never be too sure. Maybe Katherine would be prepared for her as well and have another plan set.

Bella was about to get out of her towel to put her dress on when Bonnie walked into her bedroom.

"I don't know about you Bonnie but where I come from, we knock on a door before barging in, especially if the person you're imposing on is powerful enough to end you." Bella exclaimed.

"Your grandmother let me in. She said to go on up." Bonnie replied, looking angry and ready for a fight.

"Still, you should have knocked on y bedroom door. What do you want?" Bella replied, guessing this wasn't a social call.

"I want you to give me my powers back. It's been several weeks now and you have no right to keep them from me. It's my birthright!" Bonnie snapped.

"And you thought coming here out of the blue and rudely demanding them was the right way to convince me you were deserving of them?" Bella replied, getting angry too.

"You had no right to take them away from me!" Bonnie repeated as she pointed an accusing finger at Bella.

"Newsflash Bonnie, if the power that be didn't want me to take your powers they would have found a way to give them back to you already but they didn't so it's proof that they agree with me." Bella replied in a raised voice.

All she wanted was to be able to get ready for her first Ball and Bonnie was ruining everything for her.

"I don't believe you, you just want to be the most powerful!"

"You actually think that you were more powerful than I am? Your kind of witch is weak Bonnie. Deal with it!" Bella snapped with an amused smile.

"I want my powers back!" Bonnie demanded as she tried to slap Bella who, in turn, used her power to push her back a couple of steps.

"Why? What is it you need them for?" Bella asked.

"I will get my powers back you know, you won't be able to keep them from me for long. They're mine." Bonnie said, ignoring Bella's question.

"I will keep them from you until you start acting like a grown up. Great power means great responsibilities and you weren't up to them. You need to understand that everything isn't always black or white. I said it already and will say it again: Not every vampire is bad, just like not every witch is good." Bella said.

"Is it a confession?" Bonnie asked Bella who jumped back in surprise.

"I've saved you all already! I'm doing my best to protect your best friend, how can you think that I'm evil? Get out of my house right now Bonnie Bennett and don't come back near me until you want to apologize and make up for the bad things that you've done." Bella raged as she used her power to throw Bonnie out of her room and closed the door.

She heard the young girl getting up and storming out of the house, slamming the front door on her way out.

"Everything alright Bella?" Isabelle yelled from downstairs.

"Yes Grams, now it is." Bella replied.

When she saw that she only had 15 minutes left to get ready before Damon came to pick her up, Bella took several big calming breaths and finished getting ready, doing her best to try and forget about Bonnie and her careless accusations.

Damon arrived to pick her up right on time and she had to explain why she was running late. Of course he was mad at Bonnie too and wanted to punish her but Bella told him not to do anything. Stefan had decided he would stay with Isabelle instead of going to the ball. He trusted Anna and Damon to help Bella take care of Katherine and he didn't feel like going there without Elena on his arm.

.

Bella and Damon arrived at the Lockwood's and did the round, saying hello to other council members and friend of theirs, before they went to set everything upstairs. Bella created a small cage inside the room and left just one crystal to complete it. Anna or Caroline would lure Katherine in it and close the cage before warning Damon and Bella it was ready.

"Care to dance lovely Bella?" Damon asked the girl he was lucky enough to have on his arm.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea, I start dancing and people could end up dying." Bella smiled.

"You're not _that_ clumsy."

"Yes I am."

"I won't let you fall." he promised her.

Nodding, she handed him her hand and accepted his offer to dance. From the corner of their eyes, they could see Katherine, impersonating Elena of course, talking with a scared looking Caroline.

"Everything is going perfectly according to our plans." Damon whispered in Bella's ear.

"For once." Bella replied as they watched the two vampires going upstairs and being followed by Anna.

"Let's go." Damon told her, keeping her hand in his and guiding her to the room they prepared away from the dance.

When they entered, Caroline was laughing happily at their obvious success at fouling the evil vampire and Anna was rising. Apparently, she had been the one to close the crystal cage around the vampire. Katherine was banging on the invisible walls and getting an electrical shock every time she hit it. Anna and Caroline left the room, telling them to call if they needed help later.

Just then, Bella's phone vibrated. She read:

" **Elena keeps getting painful electrical shocks."**

"She linked herself to Elena. I knew she would do something like that, I hoped what I did would be enough to protect Elena from any connections…" Bella shook her head as Katherine took a pin out of her hair and used it to cut her hand, taunting them.

"And yet you couldn't do anything to stop me." Katherine replied confidently.

"Oh, I am capable of stopping you. I wasn't sure how you'd link yourself so I couldn't protect Elena against everything but I am more than capable to stop this." Bella replied before she took a piece of paper out of her purse and read " _On Elena a_ _spell was cast, now make it past. Remove it now, don't ask me how!_ ".

"Damon, ask Alaric how Elena is now." Bella asked right after she read the spell.

They waited a few minutes, Katherine still banging angrily against the invisible wall, getting hurt every time she touched it.

"She's fine, she's not hurting anymore." Damon replied after his phone vibrated.

Katherine hissed with anger and snapped:

"You don't think this is my last resort, right? I hope you know that I have a plan B, and a plan C… I am very resourceful and have an entire alphabet of back up plans." Katherine informed them just as Damon fell to the floor holding his head.

"Like I said, plan B…" Katherine concluded as a woman entered the room.

"Lucy, right on time as usual." Katherine added.

Bella used her powers and threw the other witch against the wall losing her hold on Damon, so he was able to stand back up again.

"You're a witch… A real one." Lucy realized as she stood up.

"Yes, I suggest you leave before I have to hurt you." Bella offered the witch who had just hurt Damon.

"I can't, I gave Katherine my word I'd help her. I don't have a choice." The witch shook her head, obviously torn.

Bella noticed that she didn't really look very sorry and that Katherine looked too smug about it.

"Fine… As you wish. _Take her back, take her away. Remove her now, Don't let her stay. I call on the spirits to help undo and sand her off to Ouagadougou._ " Immediately light appeared all around a scared looking Lucy and surrounded her. She disappeared with them, leaving nothing behind.

"Ouagadougou? Why did you send her there?" Damon asked as Katherine was yelling her rage.

"It had to rime with undo." Bella justified herself before she turned around to Katherine.

"How do we deal with her now? I can stake her?" Damon asked.

"No we don't. If Klaus comes in town for Elena, we'll be able to make a deal if we have Katherine to trade in." Bella explained.

"No! Everything but that! Please!" Katherine looked desperate but Bella didn't care.

She went to her bag and took out a powder she had mixed earlier, opened the bottle and blew it all on the Petrova's face. Katherine coughed a bit before she dropped to the ground, asleep.

"Now we take her to the tomb and lock her in it until we need her." Bella commented.

"We'll do it, the two of you go and have fun." Caroline offered as she came back in with Anna.

"I thought the two of you had gone back to the party." Damon said.

"Nah… We stayed around in case you needed us." Anna replied.

The two girls jumped out the window with an unconscious Katherine and rushed to the tomb.

While they did that, Bella and Damon went back to the party, sending everyone messages that Katherine was dealt with and that they didn't have to worry about her anymore.

.

As soon as she got the message that Katherine was in the tomb, Elena took her car and rushed to the Swan house where she knew Stefan was spending his evening with Isabelle. She wanted to get back together with him. It had only been a few days but she missed him and now that the main threat was taken care of, she was free to get back together with her love.

As she turned a corner on her way, she had to stop her car suddenly. Someone was lying on the road, right in the middle of it. She parked her car on the side of the road and got out of her car to check on the motionless form. She was about to bend down when she got grabbed from behind and the man on the ground rose, pressing something against her nose.

She fell into unconsciousness hoping that someone would realize she was missing quickly and that Bella would be able to find her and guide the others to her rescue.

.

Katherine didn't wake up before she was in the dark tomb with the stone door closed. She took her phone out from between her breasts and saw she had service. She texted Alice:

 **"I'm stuck in the tomb. Don't worry, I'll make it out. I have a perfect plan."**

A few minutes later she got a reply:

 **"Tell me if you need anything. If I can do it without blowing my cover I will do it."**

Smiling, Katherine turned her cell phone off not to waste her battery and sat. All she had to do now was wait for things to fall in place.

.

In Forks, Alice was frustrated. She just came back from meeting with Katherine and already she managed to get herself caught. Fortunately, her new friend was just as resourceful as she was herself and she knew she could trust her to find a way out of the trouble she got herself into.

.

As Damon drove Bella back to her place, they passed a car parked on the side of the road in a place where there was no parking spaces and no reason to stop.

"Isn't that Elena's car?" Bella asked.

"Yes it is. What is she doing here? Why is the door opened?" Damon asked as they parked on the side of the road.

They checked around the car and found nothing so Damon went to check around but didn't find any trace either. While he was looking around the area, Bella called Alaric who informed her Elena went to see Stefan. They were all worried and Bella drove Elena's car back to her place while Damon drove his. They were met by Stefan.

"Please tell me Elena is with you." Damon pleaded with his little brother.

"No, of course not, why? Why do you have her car? What's going on?" Stefan asked frantically.

"I think Elena got kidnapped." Bella darkly announced before they all went inside the house.

* * *

 **I hope you liked it.**

 **Review?**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	7. Chapter 7

_Chapter 7 :_

Once they were all inside the house, Bella got to her room to change quickly into something more comfortable. Damon changed out of his tux too and took clothes that used to belong to Bella's grandfather. When they got back downstairs, Bella had a map and a crystal, along with a picture of Elena.

"You're going to try and locate her with this?" Isabelle asked.

"Yes, it's worked before. I've never used it but I know that i can use it without a problem." Bella replied.

She was confident that she could find Elena, especially since the girl still had Bella's protection spell on her. Her powers will help her locate the girl who had her magic on her.

Just then, someone knocked at the door and Isabelle went to open it. It was Jeremy, Anna, Alaric and Jenna. Alaric and Jeremy helped Jenna to the couch and they all sat down around the living room, waiting for Bella to find something. They were all worried but Jenna was the one who worried the most. She felt like she had failed her role as Elena's guardian and it tool Isabelle, Stefan and Alaric over 30 minutes to calm hr down and reassure her. Anna simply stayed by Jenna's side, knowing that in this mess, the best she could do to help was to offer her unwavering silent support.

"She's still on the move." Bella announced as she showed them the crystal's moves on the map.

It was slowly following a road and they knew that they were still in a car, getting to the location of their lair. Bella just hoped that it would be something isolated, easily accessible and with limited exit point to facilitate their retrieval of Elena.

"What do we do then?" Jeremy asked.

"You don't do anything. You stay here and wait for us to bring her back." Damon decided, trying to be the responsible one to impress Bella.

"It's my sister we're talking about, I'm coming!" Jeremy protested.

"She would want you to be safe, Jeremy." Stefan told him softly.

"Anna, you're going to stay here and protect grandma'. Damon, Stefan and I are going after Elena and her kidnappers." Bella decided in a hard tone.

Right now, as she got ready, she reminded Damon of the night she killed Victoria. He didn't want to contradict her when she was in one of those moods so they did as she said and let her take charge. She grabbed the map and the crystal to keep watch on where Elena was. Before she left the house, Bella rushed to her magic room and grabbed a bag she had prepared in case of an emergency like this one. It contained the basic necessities of potions and spells, just in case. Since Stefan and Damon's cars were too small to transport them all, Alaric let them take his. Bella's car, which was pretty recent, was big enough to seat the four of them on the way home but she was almost out of gas and she didn't want to waste time by stopping anywhere. Alaric's car was large enough and had a tank full of gas. It was also loaded with anti-vampire weapons.

After a while in the car, Bella said:

"They just stopped." She showed them where and Damon took a short cut he knew that wasn't on the map.

They arrived hours later in front of a very old house that seemed to have been abandoned by humans a long time ago.

.

Elena had just woken up and she was lying on the sofa of a room she had never seen before. Before getting up she looked around and when she didn't see anyone, she sat up. She tried to stand up but her head was spinning and she fell right back to the soft and dusty furniture. The dust her fall created made her sneeze.

"Oh, the human doppelganger is awake!" A young looking man exclaimed cheerfully as he entered the room.

"Who are you? What do you want? Where are we?" Elena asked, scared.

"So many questions… What makes you think we will answer them?" A woman asked in a harsh tone as she entered the room too.

"My God… She looks just like Katherine." The man commented and by the look on his face, Elena could tell that they both had a history with her evil doppelganger and though she'd probably be able to manipulate the man into letting her go, she knew the woman wouldn't be so easily swayed.

"But I'm not! My name is Elena I'm not…"

"Shut up! You speak when I tell you to speak!" The woman snapped as she slapped Elena hard across the face.

The human girl fell on the hard floor and knocked her head pretty hard.

"You don't need to be so hard on her Rose. It's not her fault she looks like Katherine. She's not responsible for Katherine's mistakes and betrayals." The man added softly.

"I don't care Trevor. Don't talk to her either! Your affection for the other one got us into this mess, I refuse to let you mess this up for me. I want to be free, i'm tired of running." Rose ordered, informing Elena that she might be able to get somewhere if she had the opportunity to be alone with this Trevor.

"Did you contact Elijah? Is he coming?" Trevor asked Rose in a low voice, thinking Elena couldn't hear them.

By his tone, Elena could tell that whoever this Elijah was, he scared them both and that she, too, should be afraid. She didn't know why or from where but the name Elijah seemed familiar to her. She had heard it before but she couldn't remember where or what it was about.

"Yes. He's coming. He should be here any minute now." The woman replied just when someone knocked on a door somewhere in the house.

"It's him…" Trevor looked even more afraid and Elena could remember where she heard the name before.

It was back when she was possessed by the dark spirit and Bella had explained to them who the Original family was. The ritual… Her death… Now she wasn't scared… She was terrified.

She was in a terrified trance like state when Rose came back with a tall and handsome man. She watched without being able to move as he told Rose she was forgiven and as he moved toward Trevor and beheaded him in the sweep of one hand. She saw him coming closer without being able to do or say anything. A member of the Original family was here to collect her. She was going to die without being able to say goodbye to Stefan or her family.

Elijah was speaking, maybe to her, she didn't know, she didn't care. She was going to die either way, she could feel it.

Suddenly Elena was able to go out of her trance when a loud bang could be heard upstairs. Soon Damon and Stefan blurred in front of them as Rose flew into the wall across the room. Damon rushed to hold her by the throat against the wall while Stefan stood next to Bella in front of the original vampire.

"Who are you? Do you know who I am?" Elijah asked in a superior tone.

"I'm guessing you're one of the Originals if you want Elena." Stefan replied.

"Ah yes, and you are Stefan Salvatore. You have a history with my family, even if my dear brother made you forget. I'd like to keep you alive not to upset my sister once she's freed but if you stand in my way, I won't hesitate." Elijah replied in a harsh voice.

Bella then used her power to throw Elijah across the room while Stefan gathered Elena in his arms and fed her a bit of his blood so she could heal. He would have plenty of time later to try and figure out what was his history with the Originals and why the sister wanted him alive.

Bella used her blasting power on the almost indestructible man. It injured him but it healed. She knew that this wouldn't kill him or cause him any kind of semi-lasting injuries, she just wanted him to understand who he was dealing with and to guess that she could do much more to hurt him.

"What are you?" Elijah asked her with a look full of admiration.

"I'm a witch. A real one, unlike your mother who was only a powerless slave of nature. And a bitch but that's only a personal opinion." Bella replied.

She had stopped trying to explode him. Now it was time to make a deal with him.

"What is your role here?" He asked.

"My role is to make sure innocents don't get hurt. Elena is an innocent so I'm protecting her. I won't let anyone break the curse if it means her dying. But if you ask your brother Kol he will tell you everything about my family, he's the one who informed my ancestors about yours after all." Bella informed him.

"My brother Kol always did have a soft spot for the fairest gender, especially the powerful ones. I'm Elijah." He replied with a nod, softening his stance.

"I figured you were. According to what Kol told my ancestor Mickeal is older, Klaus is blond, Finn is tall with dark hair but daggered and I think it's safe to say that you aren't Rebekah." Bella replied with a small smile.

Elijah chuckled, amused. Damon did too, his girl was hot.

"And what's your name?" The original vampire asked.

"I'm Bella Swan."

"Ah yes, the Swan's… My brother Kol was quite taken with your ancestors. He loves the fairer gender and fell quite a few times for you Swan girls. If he wasn't daggered right now I'm pretty sure he would love you too." Elijah explained.

"She's taken!" Damon growled, still pinning Rose to the wall.

"If your goal is to prevent my brother from breaking the curse, then we have a common goal." Elijah told Bella peacefully.

He was speaking only to Bella, like she was the only one worthy of his attention in this house and this was infuriating Damon who squeezed Rose's throat harder.

"How do you think of doing this?" Bella asked him.

"During the ritual, when he's in the process of changing, my brother will be vulnerable. A witch, the servant of nature kind, with enough power will be able to stop him and I will be able to rip his heart out." Elijah explained, not capable of taking his eyes off Bella.

"Is that before or after he drains Elena of her blood?" Bella asked him as Elena flinched.

"I see your ancestors were able to take full advantage of the famous pillow talk."

Bella blushed, thinking of the journal of Bianca Swan that must have been used to get those information.

"You didn't answer her question." Stefan reminded him, still confused about the comment about him knowing Klaus.

"Back when Katerina was human and supposed to be part of the same ritual, I acquired an elixir that has the property of bringing a human back to life." Elijah explained.

"This elixir is five hundred years old at best. How can you know it's still going to work?" Damon asked.

"Bringing people back from the dead has heavy consequences, dangerous consequences." Bella replied before she added "NO! We need another solution."

"What do you suggest?" Elijah asked her curiously.

"I managed to create a spell to kill a Cold One, I've seen hundred of different curses in my family's Book of Shadows. I can find something to deal with him when the time comes. Why do you want to kill your brother though? Isn't _'Family above all_ ' one of your siblings' motto?" Bella asked him.

"Niklaus took away my whole family, I want revenge."

"You said they were daggered. It means they aren't dead and that they're still hope to find them. Your brother doesn't have to die."

"And you think you can find them?"

"Yes." Bella answered with all the confidence she could find.

"What do you want in exchange?" Elijah asked, still impressed by this young woman's beauty and power.

"You don't arm any of us. Elena doesn't get sacrificed. If your brother comes to town you stand by us and help us protect her. You let me try to negotiate with him before anything else happens." Bella decided when she saw that Elijah wasn't going to speak with the Salvatore brothers.

"I can agree to these terms." Elijah smiled softly at the young woman in front of him.

If he had a soft spot for Petrova Doppelgangers, this Swan witch could very easily erase it all. He felt some sort of familiarity around her and even though he couldn't understand where it came from or what it was, he knew, deep down, that trusting her was for the best.

"Do I have your word?" Bella asked him, remembering reading in the book how they respected their word.

"You do. Do I have your word that you'll help me find my family, no matter what?" he asked her, looking at her in the eyes.

"I give you my word that I will help you find your family as soon as Elena is safe." Bella replied, seeing Stefan and Damon nodding from the corner of her eyes.

"Very well then, I think I'll find you all back in Mystic Falls in a few days. Miss Swan, it has been a real pleasure discussing with you, I hope you give me this opportunity again soon." Elijah declared before he kissed Bella's hand, surprising her and making Damon growl.

"Goodbye Elijah." Bella nodded before Elijah disappeared in super speed from the room and the house.

Bella shook her head, like she would to come back to reality and looked around. Damon wasn't holding Rose anymore and when she realized it was her chance to escape, Rose ran out before Bella could throw her around some more.

"You let her escape!" Bella exclaimed at Damon.

"Sorry, I was too busy watching my girlfriend flirt with an original vampire." Damon replied with a glare.

"I got what we wanted didn't I? And we weren't flirting, we were simply conversing politely. I get that it happens to you on so few occasions that you can barely recognize it when you see it but this was simply two people talking politely. Maybe if you talked more often with girls that don't have names that can also stand as a spice like Paprika or Cinnamon and who had an occupation that didn't require for them to take their clothes off, then you'd have recognized that this discussion was simply an open and friendly talk to find an agreement that suited the two of us." Bella snapped with an angry voice, not happy with Rose's escape.

"Maybe you weren't flirting but he was and you didn't even think of putting him back in his place." Damon yelled, ignoring her comments.

"I had other things in mind, like making sure everyone I care about, which includes you as well so far by the way, would escape this encounter safe and sound. Why did you let that vampire run? We should have killed her!" Bella yelled back.

"Her name is Rose." Elena added in a shy voice.

"Thanks Elena. Now that I know her name I will be able to track her and kill her." Bella decided.

"She seemed sorry. She already lost a friend to it, maybe we should just leave her alone." Stefan suggested to Bella, pointing to the beheaded vampire on the floor.

"It doesn't excuse what she did! Look at Elena, she can barely stand on her own and has bruises already forming around her neck!" Bella snapped.

"I fed her my blood, they're fading." Stefan added.

"Let's go home. You and Elena need some sleep." Damon announced in a tight voice.

"Yes, I'll be stronger to kill this Rose the next time I see her." Bella nodded in a stubborn voice, barely looking at Damon on the way to the car.

.

The road back to Mystic Falls was silent and a bit tensed.

Elena was in the back seat in Stefan's arms and Bella was in the front seat, looking outside. Damon and her hadn't spoken a word to each other yet and Damon understood she was mad. He had no right to accuse her of anything when she had saved their asses but he couldn't help but feel threatened by all the other men who would love to have Bella in their arms and would also be much better for her than he was.

He wasn't sure he understood why she was so mad about Rose but her comment about him and his previous "relationships" had hurt his pride a bit, though, deep down, he knew that she was right too. He didn't know if he was ready to talk to her yet. They were both very angry with each other and some time might be for the best.

As soon as she arrived back home, Bella left the car without a word and went inside, told her grandmother what happened quickly and went to bed.

"You're going to need to apologize to her, you know that, right?" Stefan asked Damon after they had dropped Elena home.

"Yes, I know. Later." He replied.

Once home, he'd call Enzo and talk with his old friend, trying to calm down a bit and to keep him updated about what was happening in this small town. Maybe his friend would have some perspective on everything and be able to clear Damon's mind, or maybe, he was was close enough, they'd be able to meet up in a bar and spend their night drinking everything they could find.

.

Elijah had collected his belonging and was on his way to Mystic Falls. He wanted to see the youngest Swan. He needed to see her. He had reserved a room in a local hotel and was soon on his way.

He'd keep an eye out on things in this town and try to collect as much information as possible about the little group that defended Elena. Maybe he'd find bigger allies against his brother and their multiple enemies.

.

John Gilbert was back in town.

Elena couldn't believe it. Almost a week after she had been kidnapped, things slowly went back to normal between Stefan and her and Bella and Damon. Actually, she could tell that Bella and Damon hadn't really talked things out since he let Rose escape but she knew that they were both willing to ignore it for now and this was enough to bring back peace among their little group. Things would be fine as long as Rose didn't come to town and as long as nobody brought the subject back up. Ignorance was bliss.

Anyway, Elena was happy in her actual life until she opened the front door to find John Gilbert on the other side of it.

"John, what are you doing here?" Elena asked as Jenna, Jeremy and Alaric walked in the hallway to see what was going on.

"I'm your father Elena, you have to call me dad." John demanded before he even thought of greeting her.

"My father died in a car crash. What do you want?" Elena asked stubbornly, trying to remain as calm and unaffected by his presence as she could.

"It's my home as much as yours." He replied, making his way inside and closing the front door behind him.

"No it isn't! It's Jeremy's and Elena's. As their guardian it's mine too but it isn't yours!" Jenna told him.

"Actually it's going to be soon. I'm back for good. I'm going to run for Mayor and become the head of the Founder's council like I wanted before your little witch interrupted me. Oh, and I want custody of Elena, she's my daughter after all, it's only justice that I got to raise her the way I want her to be raise. Clearly you have a much too lazy authority. I have enough evidence against you, Jenna, to make sure you lose both of their custody to me." John declared with an infuriating smirk.

Elena was so shocked by what he just said that she froze. She knew there was arguing around her, the raising voices were deafening her and she felt her brother leading her upstairs but she was in another world. If John got custody of her, she would end up locked away from her friends and family. She probably end up being brainwashed to hate all things supernatural. She'd be unable to see Stefan or Caroline or Bonnie ever again. Who knew, he might turn her into someone who'd try and kill them some day.

She had to do something to stop it but she was unable to think clearly or even to move around. After a while, she could hear Bella. Apparently, Jeremy had called her and asked her to come help. Elena was grateful. Bella's voice reached her and brought her out of her bubble.

"Don't worry Elena, we'll take care of everything. I'll spell John. Don't worry, you're not going anywhere with him." Bella reassured her before she left Elena with Stefan who hugged her close to him, letting her know that he wasn't going anywhere.

Bella walked back downstairs and found herself standing in front of John Gilbert. She had to resist the urge to throw him across the room and through the window. He was still human and she had to concentrate on that fact not to hurt him. She didn't want to end up in jail because she attacked a human.

" _Thoughts, beliefs, ideas, truths, images, all this you hold unto tightly, what I know mention you will release._ You never wanted to come back to Mystic Falls. You will go back where you came from and never come back again. You never wanted to take Mayor Lockwood's position, You respect him way too much for that. You never wanted to be head of the founder's council, why would you want that, after all, you don't believe in the supernatural. Elena is your daughter and you only want what's best for her and you know that what's best for her is to stay in the safe custody of Jenna, in Mystic Fall's. You'll never try to take her away again but you will help her pay for College or anything else she might need, because you love her. Now leave and never come back unless your daughter calls you back here." Bella told him as soon as she entered the room, looking John Gilbert in the eyes and working her magic.

"Well, this was fast." Damon commented after John closed the front door behind him.

"I couldn't help it, his presence irritates me." Bella replied shyly.

"I love how you can attack someone older and stronger than you one minute and blush shyly the next." Jeremy chuckled.

"Yes, Bella never cease to amaze me." Damon replied as he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck softly.

"Nice touch though, reminding him to pay for whatever Elena might need." Jenna chuckled.

"Well, you never know what life will throw your way in this town, this way she's covered." Bella shrugged her shoulders.

She and Damon had reconciled only the previous day when Damon had pulled it together and came to see Bella and apologized for overreacting. He had waited a couple of days to see if Bella would ease his pride and come to him first but when she hadn't, he hadn't been able to stay away and had gone to her himself. He didn't want to lose her over something so stupid. Of course they had seen each other before that in the week, but Bella and ignored him until he had pulled it together.

In front of others, it had looked like everything was fine but they hadn't talked about anything until Damon admitted that he had overreacted. He still had a hard time understanding why Bella was so mad at him for letting Rose go, he didn't really believe that she had a real supernatural bad feeling about the older vampire but he ignored it, figuring that this would, too, go away at some point.

After that little intervention, Bella and Damon went to grab a bite to eat and she went back home to do some homework, refusing to let anything get in the way of her graduating at the end of the year.

.

When Damon finally got home, Stefan was back too and trying to chase a female vampire around the house. He helped his brother and together they pinned Rose down.

"I don't want to fight, I just need a place to stay." She pleaded.

"You tried to have Elena killed, you don't get to stay here." Stefan snapped.

"I just wanted to be free! I was tired of running. All I wanted was a second chance." Rose pleaded.

"Why did you come here then?" Damon asked.

Lunch with Bella had been a bit tensed and he just wanted some calm and quiet, maybe something fun. He wanted to keep Bella in his life, he liked her and she was powerful and fun but he couldn't help but want more out of their relationship. He wasn't used to staying without having sex for so long.

"For the past 500 years Trevor was all I knew. Now that he's dead I have nowhere to go, I figured you might need help with protecting Elena." Rose explained.

Stefan was about to tell her to leave when Damon said:

"You can stay in one of the spare bedroom upstairs but one problem and we kill you!" Damon told her, ignoring his brother's revolted look.

.

Bella was about to start her history homework when she realized the last time she worked on them she was at the Boarding House when Stefan had explained some events to her and she had left it there. Sighting, she grabbed her car keys and went to get it.

When she arrived at her boyfriend's house, the front door was wide opened. She walked in and was shocked to hear Damon telling Rose she could stay in their house.

"Are you kidding me? You're inviting her to stay here?" Bella asked as she used her power to throw Rose away from her.

The female got up and stayed away, silently. Bella could tell that the sudden shy act was just that, an act, but obviously Damon was oblivious to it, especially since the older vampire was now hiding behind him.

"Come on Bella, everyone deserves a second chance." Damon told his girlfriend who used her powers to fly her books to her.

"You're defending her? She almost killed Elena!" Bella snapped, glaring.

"Come on, you're the one who told me everyone deserved a second chance!" Damon repeated, exasperated.

"Fine, I won't kill her yet but listen to me carefully Damon: I don't want to see her, ever! I'm not coming here as long as she lives in this house. She better not talk to me or cross me anywhere or I'm going to make her explode. If she sees me on the street, she better change her direction before I see her, or else." Bella yelled before she turned around and went back to her car.

"I'm sorry for the trouble I caused." Rose said to Damon and Stefan could tell that she wasn't sincere.

The vampire had an hidden agenda and he was already planning on keeping an eye on her.

"Don't worry, Bella will get over it." Damon shook his head as he showed the new comer to her bedroom.

Stefan however, knew that Bella wouldn't calm down anytime soon. Just like him, she knew that Rose would bring them trouble and that she had something planned.

.

Elijah crossed Bella a few times around town and realized that things were tensed between her and Damon. After investigation he learned that Rose had come to town and found refuge at the Salvatore Boarding House. Elijah smirked when he witnessed Damon pleading Bella to make a daylight ring for the woman.

"No, Damon. I don't like her and she's trouble. The only daylight anything she's getting from me is the real kind, the kind that will turn her to the pile of ashes she's supposed to be. I actually know a spell for that if you insist." Bella replied.

"Come on Bella, you're being unreasonable!" Damon rolled his eyes.

"If that's what you think, I'm leaving. Don't talk to me about that girl again Damon or things will end badly, for you and for her." Bella warned before she turned around and left.

She couldn't explain her dislike of Rose but the woman gave her a bad feeling, a supernatural kind of bad feeling. Bella was comforted in her idea when she noticed that Anna, Elena and Caroline didn't like her either and that Stefan didn't trust her. Bella was almost tempted to make a jerk move and tell the council about Rose so they could kill her but held herself back. She could wait for Rose to prove her right. Bella knew she was here for another reason than simply not being alone anymore and she wasn't about to change her mind or give up.

.

A few days later, Bella was at the Grill after school. She was supposed to meet with Caroline but the blond cancelled on her at the last minute so Bella was having a cup of coffee before going home when Elijah walked in. They exchanged small talk for a few minutes until Elena rushed in.

"Bella, please help me!" She exclaimed but stopped in her tracks when she saw Elijah sitting in front of her.

"Well Bella, thanks for the company. I see the person I was supposed to meet has just arrived. Have a nice afternoon ladies." Elijah told them as he stood and went to the other side of the Grill.

"What is it Elena?" Bella asked.

"Were you on a date with Elijah?"

"What? No! I was waiting for Caroline because she needed me to help her on some homework but she changed her mind. I was about to leave when he arrived and started a conversation. I'm not one to deny a good conversation, especially lately." Bella explained.

"Oh, okay… Well, anyway, Isobel is back in town. She says she wants to help me. She told me where she is staying." Elena explained.

"You want her to survive?" Bella asked.

"I don't care if she dies." Elena replied truthfully.

"Okay then. Come one, we'll take care of it ourselves." Bella suggested, seeing this as an opportunity to take her mind away from Damon and their constant arguing.

Elena nodded and they both left the grill.

An hour later, both Elena and Bella were in front of the foreclosure house that was Isobel's residence. With a quick spell, Bella opened the door and they came inside the house. Isobel rushed to meet them but before she could do or say anything, Bella used her blast power several times in a row and the woman exploded.

It was quickly done and as usual, Bella felt bad afterward but Isobel had turned her emotions off and would never truly care about her daughter. Now it was done. They both went home and never told their respective boyfriends what they did. Nobody knew Isobel was ever in town, nobody would even find out.

.

Katherine was still in the caves and figured now was the time to trick Stefan into coming to pay her a visit. She turned her cell phone back on and decided a little lie wouldn't hurt.

" **Elena is in danger. Petrova Doppelgangers don't live past their 18th birthday without a special potion being drank. Kat"**

" **I don't believe you."**

" **Too bad. You're the one risking your girlfriend's life."**

Katherine smirked and turned her cell phone off before putting it back between her breasts. She was getting tired and very thirsty. She needed out of the tomb now. All she had to drink was a couple of small mice and a lost bat. It hadn't been enough and had been very disgusting, she didn't know how Stefan could manage to drink so much animal blood for so long.

.

Stefan dropped his phone on the living room table. He tried calling Katherine back but he couldn't reach her.

Could he take the risk of not believing it? Could he wait until Damon came back from his date with Bella? No, he couldn't. He knew he should call his brother but things were so tensed lately between Bella and him and he didn't want to spoil a good moment. He knew Rose was in the house and couldn't follow him because of the sun.

"Rose, tell Damon I'm going to the tomb!" He yelled before he rushed out, leaving the front door wide open behind him.

When he opened the tomb's door, Katherine was waiting for him on the other side.

"Well, hello lover…" she greeted him in a weak but still taunting voice.

"What is this you were talking about?"

"No small talk then. Right to business. It's a curse put on our line by Klaus. This way if a Doppelganger escaped him she would pay with her life." Katherine explained, lying through her teeth.

"I don't believe you. Bella would have known, she would have told us." He shook his head.

"Right, because these witches know everything, about everything, right? Well, too bad for you, I guess you should start saying goodbye to Elena soon." Katherine replied with a not at all sorry smile.

She waited a few minutes and saw Stefan was biting her bait.

"What do I need to help her survive?"

Katherine jumped in joy inside. She had prepared for this before the party. She took a small dark vial from her bra.

"She needs this." Katherine waved it in front of his nose

"Give it to me!"

"Get me out of here!"

"You know I can't do that!" he exclaimed.

They argued with raising voices for a few more minutes, actually half an hour. Katherine was happy to see that Stefan was losing his cool. He was ready to pounce and she would get what she wanted.

"Well, I guess I'll just poor this down on the floor then." Katherine replied and was immediately pinned against the wall.

"Welcome in Lover. Wanna have some fun with me?" she asked in a wicked tone.

Stefan looked around and realized his mistake, he was stuck in here with her. He was screwed.

Katherine was weak and knew she needed blood so she drank from Stefan a bit. She was now just as strong as before.

.

When Damon got home after his tensed lunch with Bella, he found the front door opened. As soon as he was inside, he saw Rose coming his way, looking worried.

"Stefan left. He forgot his phone. He went to see Katherine at the tomb and isn't back yet. It's been 3 hours." Damon rolled his eyes, growled and took his phone out to call Bella back.

He quickly thanked Rose and left the house, running to the tomb where Bella would meet him. He decided to wait for her outside. When she arrived, she was followed by Elena and Bonnie.

"What are they doing here?" He asked Bella, kissing her on the lips quickly.

"I was helping Elena with her English paper and she called Bonnie." Bella shrugged her shoulder.

Bonnie was obviously still mad at Bella by the glare she threw her way.

"If Bella give me back my powers I'll be about to get Stefan out." Bonnie said arrogantly.

"Please! Last time it took you and your grandmother channeling the power of the moon and she died. You couldn't do it by yourself." Bella rolled her eyes.

Bonnie glared at Bella for the dark reminder while the witch followed her boyfriend down the stairs. When they arrived, Stefan was waiting at the door with Katherine. Damon immediately started to yell at his brother. Stefan took it all in, knowing he had been stupid. Of course if there was a curse on Elena, Bella would have known. Yes, he had been an idiot to let her get to him like that.

"I can get him out but Katherine would be able to leave also, I can't keep her inside while I free him." Bella whispered to Damon.

"Fine… Just get them out then." Damon nodded.

Bonnie huffed in annoyance, turned around and left. She preferred walking the whole way back to her house rather than see Bella save the day once more.

"Okay, this is to create a door but it should work here. _When you find your path is blocked, all you have to do is knock_." Once she was done reciting that, Bella knocked on the shield.

"It didn't work…" Katherine stated.

"Obviously. Okay, let's see this: _This shield is in Stefan's way, please let him pass right away._ "

This time, the shield was pulled down and both vampires were able to leave. Of course Katherine left the tomb in a hurry, without taking the risk of being caught once more and they couldn't do anything about it.

"Thanks, I managed to steal her necklace. She won't be out in the sun before long." Stefan showed them the piece of jewelry.

"She has several Stefan. She's like a boy scout, always prepared." Damon shook his head as they all made their way out.

Behind Bella and Damon, Stefan was being scolded by Elena.

.

From afar, Elijah watched everything. He was about to step in and compel Katherine to stay in but Bella worked faster than he thought she would and he was too late. He couldn't help but admire Bella. She was pretty, her hair was so pretty in the sun light… She was like an angel, he couldn't help but think that she didn't deserve Damon. Actually, he was pretty sure he wasn't the only one thinking that.

From a distance, the original followed them back to their car and then he watched as Stefan took Damon's car to drive Elena back as Damon got in the car with Bella.

"I'm dropping you off at the beginning of your street." Bella stated.

"Oh come on Bella, this is getting ridiculous!" Damon rolled his eyes.

"I don't like Rose and I know she's bad news. You won't make me change my mind about that and I know that eventually, you'll see that I was right all along." Bella snapped as she stopped her car.

"She'll prove you wrong, she's actually nice and pretty fun."

"What do you mean she's _fun_? What kind of fun are the two of you having exactly?" Bella asked.

Damon just ignored her, rolled his eyes one more time, kissed her quickly on the lips and ran back to his house, not noticing that Bella hadn't returned his kiss but had simply let his press his lips against hers.

Of course Bella was fuming now. Fun? What did that mean exactly? She couldn't picture Damon sitting down for a game of Monopoly so what did they do together that was so fun?

Elijah smirked. The older Salvatore wouldn't be able to hold on to Bella if he kept being this stubborn and ignoring her wishes. It was so obvious that Rose wanted Damon. Everyone could see it, Damon was the only one who refused to admit it. He would only end up hurting Bella if he kept acting this way.

Elijah smiled and decided to _'accidentally run'_ into Bella again later in the day and try to cheer her up.

* * *

 **Not many changes in this chapter, mostly sentences that are now longer.**

 **Did you like it?**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	8. Chapter 8

_Chapter 8 :_

Alice was happy.

She got a phone call from Katherine. Her new friend was out of the tomb and ready to act. She knew she could count on her, they both had the same determination to accomplish their plans. They had been destined to meet and to become friends, destined to achieve their goals together and to stay together forever, happily ever after.

.

Bella didn't know what to do anymore. Damon seemed frustrated that she wasn't ready to have sex but he had known from the beginning who she was. She tried to help him understand that it was something big for her and she wanted to wait until she was completely ready, but he just didn't understand. To him, sex was a simple act of pleasure and he didn't understand why it was so important for her to wait. He needed some release and it was the only way he knew how.

Damon wasn't just frustrated because of Bella's refusal to have sex but also because she refused to go to the Boarding house ever since Rose moved in. He was also jealous because he saw Elijah talking with her a couple of times and she was smiling and laughing both times. She didn't laugh and barely smiled now whenever they were together. The original could make her happy when he, her boyfriend, couldn't anymore, not for long anyway.

To top it all, his old friend Enzo was far away, busy enjoying his new life and unable to join him in a tour of the local bars. It's not like Stefan was the kind of guy to join him in a night of getting drunk and having fun with people they wouldn't remember the newt day. He was too moral for that.

.

"What? Can you repeat that?" Bella asked Damon with wide eyes.

"I said I gave Rose Katherine's necklace." Damon replied like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"You gave her the possibility to go out in the sun?" Bella was angry, very angry.

"What's so wrong with that? She's old and has control. She deserves a second chance, you're just being unreasonable about this!" Damon snapped.

"I can't believe you did this, I'm tired of all this Damon." Bella replied, shaking her head.

"Why are you so mad about this?"

"God Damon I don't know, maybe because she wants you and you're the only one too stupid to see it!" Bella yelled.

"Don't be ridiculous. You're the only one who thinks that way!" He rolled his eyes.

"Oh yeah? Why don't you ask Elena, Caroline, Jenna, Grandma', Anna, Jeremy, Alaric? They all agree with me! You're the only one who ignores it, or maybe you're not ignoring it, maybe you're enjoying this. Maybe you like the attention she gives you."

They were walking in town, going back to their respective cars and their raised voices attracted the attention of people who, even though they were eavesdropping, tried to stay discreet.

"What are you saying exactly?" Damon was mad now.

"That maybe you like that Rose wants you, it's an ego booster and you can't stop but want more!" Bella yelled.

"You're being ridiculous Bella!"

"No I'm not. That's it isn't it? You like the attention she gives you! You like knowing that she's there in case you need some _release_." Bella argued.

"Oh come on Bella, I'm with you aren't I?"

"But every time we're together you talk about her, you always find a way to bring her up. You can't seem to be able to talk to me about anything else lately!" Bella replied in a raised voice that showed how hurt she was by that fact.

"Don't be stupid Bella, now you're inventing things." Damon shook his head.

"I'm tired of this Damon… I like you, I really do. But ever since Rose arrived you've been different. If she stays here I don't know if I can be with you anymore. I know that you don't believe me but I can tell that she has something on her mind, something other than getting you to pull down your pants. I don't know when you stopped trusting me about my instinct but I'm tired of this. Rose isn't someone I want in my life or around the people I love." Bella told him as she turned around and went back home.

"You're one to talk, do you think I haven't noticed Elijah hanging around you? You don't see me making accusations, do you?" Damon yelled back, making Bella stop in her steps and turn around to face him.

"Probably because you know that I would never encourage anything inappropriate and because I don't talk to you about him constantly. You can try to justify what you're doing anyway you want Damon, it won't change the fact that you're wrong and that you're hurting me. Elijah and I are only friends, and that's all there is going to be. I'm not one to cheat or lie about things like that." Bella replied before she rushed to her car, trying to hide her tears.

"Bella, come on!" He tried to call her back.

"Go kiss a frog, or Rose, whichever comes first!" Bella snapped back without looking back at him, making a couple passing by chuckle.

Damon sighted with frustration and turned around to his car. Then, he growled when he spotted Elijah standing not too far away, smiling. The original was obviously happy about their argument and it only enraged Damon more.

Of course Damon couldn't know that Elijah's smile was only a facade and that underneath, he was actually concerned for Bella. Unlike Damon, he had seen her tears and was worried about her. He knew that Damon's actions toward Rose and his doubting of her was hurting her feelings a lot.

.

Katherine saw Bella leaving her house and smiled. Now was the time to act. She had thought a lot about it and knew she would succeed this way. Slowly and silently, she made her way into the garden and waited, hidden. She had been watching the old woman a lot and she always came to tend to her garden around this time of the day.

When Isabelle left her house to work on her garden a while later, Katherine pounced on her without giving her the chance to fight back. She had procured herself with an Amulet to protect herself from witches' personal powers and when the old woman tried she fight her off, she was ineffective.

Katherine did a good job. She was surprised when the woman tried to fight her off with her bare hands and managed to scratch her neck with one of her gardening tools but it didn't change much. She was still stronger than the sickly old woman.

Of course Isabelle was dead quickly, but Katherine made sure there was a lot of blood and open wounds. The sight was horrible and she was confident it would traumatize the young witch forever. it would be the kind of sight that would come back to haunt her on stormy nights, if she survived long enough to see a stormy night.

As she left, Katherine didn't realize she had left her Amulet behind her. Isabelle had managed to tear it off and Katherine was now defense less.

Once she was back in her hotel room, Katherine texted her new best friend:

 **"It's done. Picture to follow."**

She sent a picture she took before leaving the scene and sent it next to Alice. She got a reply a few minutes later and read:

 **"Good. See you soon. I'll be in town in a few days"**.

.

When Bella got home, she was in a bad mood because of her fight with Damon. Why couldn't he see what everyone else was seeing? Did he really enjoy Rose's presence so much? What did they do when they were alone in the Boarding house? Did Stefan know something and didn't tell her to spare her feelings or out of loyalty to his brother?

"Grandma', I'm home!" Bella called out as she dropped her purse on the floor, she kept talking:

"I got into another argument with Damon about Rose, I don't know what to do anymore. I think we'll be breaking up soon but I don't want to, I really like him… I might even be falling in love with him." Bella waited for her grandmother's response but when nothing came, she got worried.

"Grams?" she checked the kitchen.

Nothing.

Silence.

She went looking into the living room, the basement… nothing.

"Grandma', what's going on?" Bella asked as she rushed upstairs to her grandmother's room to see it empty.

"Grams where are you?" She ran in the attic, in the magic room…

Nothing.

Silence.

Bella was growing more worried with every passing minute and she ran back downstairs, still calling for her grandmother. When she got back downstairs she saw the door to the garden open and stepped out, calling her grandmother.

.

Damon got home and was still mad. Stefan was at Elena's and Rose was on the couch, reading his favorite book. She was wearing a skirt that was pulled up her tights and her shirt was almost see through.

"Well, you seem to be in a mood… trouble with Bella again?" She asked him in a soft tone.

"Yeah, I don't want to talk about it." Damon replied.

"You know, you could always turn them off, your emotions, it would make everything much easier." Rose suggested.

"I'm not so sure about that." Damon replied.

"Want to try it out? I will if you will." Rose offered with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't want to end up doing something I'd regret because it makes me lose Bella." Damon shook his head.

"That's the good thing about turning your emotions off: you don't feel regret." Rose smirked.

Damon nodded and, just like that, it happened. Maybe it was because he was already in a bad mood, maybe it was because he was angry at bella or maybe it was because he was frustrated and needed to get off.

He turned it off.

Rose smiled at him in a wicked way.

He smiled back at her.

She walked toward him and softly put her hand on his upper arm. She let her hands wander on his chest and ripped his shirt open, letting his buttons fly everywhere across the room. He grabbed her by the hips and pulled her hardly toward him.

They were naked against the wall.

Damon was getting rid of all his frustrations and enjoying himself. Rose was winning him over.

It was the best sex the brunette vampire had had in a very long time and she knew she would have gotten him eventually.

Damon didn't hear it when his cell phone rang. He didn't see Liz's name appearing. He didn't see Stefan's name appearing. He didn't see Bella's name. He was in his own bubble of selfish pleasure and ignored everything else.

.

Bella stepped into the garden, calling for the woman she had always loved more than anyone…

Then she saw it.

She smelled it too.

Blood.

A lot of blood!

A form lying lifelessly on top of the growing herbs.

Her grandmother.

Eyes wide open.

Blood.

Stomach ripped open.

More blood.

"Nooooooooooooooo!" Bella yelled.

She shook her grandmother and cried.

She didn't know what to do. She was shocked. Her hands shaking and her head half in another world, she took her cell phone out, not caring that her bloody hands were putting blood all over the screen.

"Liz, It's Bella. My grandmother, she... she's been killed. Please, I need help." Bella cried while she spoke and she didn't listen for a reply.

She let her phone fall on the floor without bothering with hanging up and knelt down. She didn't know how much time passed, she couldn't think, she could only see the blood and her grandmother's dead body.

She heard the sirens as if they were far away, then there was someone speaking to her. She didn't know what she replied to the voice, she just spoke. She felt herself talking though, so she must have answered them something. The words didn't matter though, it wouldn't change what had happened.

Someone guided her inside.

A gentle hand… A woman's hand… Not her grandmother's because she was dead and had bled on her precious garden.

Someone sat with her.

She was lost.

.

A few hours later, Bella was still in her living room.

Elena, Stefan, Anna, Jeremy, Alaric, Jenna, Caroline, Liz, the Lockwood's and Elijah were with her.

Damon wasn't. He wasn't even answering his cell phone.

She heard Stefan calling Charlie and her father replied he was on his way. Liz handed her an Amulet covered in her grandmother's blood. Bella set it aside to investigate later. Right now she couldn't even look at it. She heard Caroline saying something about cleaning it but she didn't look. They could clean it all they wanted, Bella felt like she would always be able to see the blood on it.

Bella vaguely wondered why she hadn't fainted yet but she figured that the shock had probably overridden her disgust of blood.

Stefan was with her, holding her together, trying to lessen her pain when the one he was feeling was just as bad as hers.

.

Damon and Rose were done having sex and he was getting dressed while his new lover slept peacefully. As he rose, ready to get a glass of blood when his eyes fell on a picture of Bella. He needed to apologize to her. He went downstairs and grabbed his phone.

28 missed calls.

30 text-messages.

14 voice mails.

Wondering what happened he listened to them all.

Isabelle was dead. She had been attacked.

She was dead.

Bella found her when she got home from their argument.

He had cheated on Bella.

She needed him and he was having sex with the one girl she hated and didn't trust.

He screwed up.

Jumping in his car, he drove as fast as he could to the Swan's household and came in, knowing that nobody would open the door for him.

.

Bella was sitting in the middle of everyone, a blank look on her face. It was still hard for her to accept what had happened.

When Damon entered the room, Bella looked up, as did everyone else. Stefan and Elijah glared at him before they went to stand protectively in front of Bella, as if they were trying to shield her from what he had done even though they didn't know about it yet.

"Where were you?" Stefan said.

He, too, was crying the loss of Isabelle, his goddaughter, the one person who had made him feel like he was human and like he could have children. She had been like a daughter to him and her loss weigh heavily on his heart.

"I was… busy. I didn't hear my phone." Damon replied, looking for Bella who wasn't in her seat anymore.

"By the smell of you it involved Rose-Marie." Elijah condemned in a harsh tone.

"Is it true?" Bella asked from behind him in a soft broken voice.

Her voice was barely a whisper but Damon knew the whole room had heard it as though she had screamed it.

"I… Bella…" Damon was trying to find something to say.

Everyone was watching him now and it was like they were all accusing him.

"Is it true Damon? Where you with Rose?" She sounded broken.

"Yes." He replied in a small voice.

"What were you doing that prevented you from answering your phone?" she asked in a small but still hard voice.

"Bella…" Damon was looking for a nice way to say it.

"What were you doing with her?" Bella demanded in a raised and hard voice.

"We… Rose and I… We had sex." Damon looked truly ashamed of himself.

His anger pushed him to break the only truly good thing that had entered his life.

"So, after you assured me there was nothing between the two of you, I come home to find my grandmother dead and you go home to have sex with her? I don't want to see you here. Leave." Bella decided in a broken voice.

"Bella… I didn't mean to…" Damon tried to justify himself but he couldn't even finish his sentence that Bella had cut him off.

"Leave! It's over, we're done! I can't even look at you right now!" Bella yelled as she used her powers to throw him out of the room and into the hall.

She used it again and threw him out the door he left open when he came in. She had tears running down her face and she looked both sad and scary.

"I was falling for you. I don't want to see you here!" Bella added before she closed the door and, ignoring everyone, she walked up the stairs, entered her grandmother's bedroom and fell on the bed crying.

.

People came in to see her. They talked to her, offered her food, drink, words of comfort… she didn't move. She heard Stefan telling her that he was taking care of everything and that she didn't have to move if she didn't want to. She didn't need to worry about a thing and she was grateful for that because she didn't have the strength to do anything anymore.

Elena was here too. She was grateful for everything Bella had done for her so she wanted to be here for Bella too. She helped Stefan the best she could, she organized everything with him and listened to Stefan when he asked her to leave Bella alone, not to force her into anything.

Caroline came in and informed her that Damon had thrown Rose out of the Boarding House and told her to leave town. Bella didn't reply. She knew Rose wouldn't leave town. She would stay around and Damon would go back to her. Even if he didn't, she wouldn't be taking him back, she refused to be the girl who went back to the guy who broke her heart and ended up having it broken over and over again.

.

The next day Charlie arrived.

Stefan had gone to pick him up at the airport and had explained everything to him, not sparring him any details. He knew that the cop would want to be prepared and so Stefan didn't hide anything.

"What about Bella? How is she?" Charlie asked and Stefan knew that what he really wanted to know was if Bella had gone back to her zombie state.

"She's… Well, she hasn't spoken much since she found Isabelle. She's been crying a lot. I made sure she ate and drank enough but I know she hasn't been sleeping well." Stefan replied.

"How do you know? She told you?"

"No, I've been sleeping here, in one of the guest bedrooms to keep an eye on her until you arrived. None of us wanted her to be alone. She's been having nightmares, seeing the moment she found her grandmother's body over and over again." Stefan replied.

"Thank you, for everything. Thank you." Charlie nodded.

"Don't mention it. I wanted to help. Isabelle was part of my family too." Stefan replied.

"I remember you, you know." Charlie informed him.

"You do? You were just a kid the last time I saw you." Stefan replied, surprised.

"I know, but I remember. I remember you taller though."

"Maybe because you were so small." Stefan replied in a chuckle.

"True. I'm glad you were there for Bella."

"Don't worry, she's part of my family now, no matter what."

"Has her mother called?" Charlie asked when they entered the town.

"No. When I'm not with Bella in the house Elena or someone else always is and though she received lots of calls, none of them came from Renee. She didn't even email her." Stefan shook his head.

"But you warned her?"

"Of course. I left a message on her answering machine." Stefan nodded.

"So did I." Charlie replied sadly.

A few minutes later, they arrived in what was now Bella's house. Stefan stayed in the car and told Charlie that he'd come by later to check on them. He waited outside just long enough for Elena to join him and he drove back to the Gilbert's, leaving father and daughter to grieve together.

Charlie dropped is bag on the floor near the stairs and rushed up. He came in to talk to Bella and they both stayed silently in Isabelle's room for a long time before they both came down the stairs, ready to go to the funeral.

.

In Forks, Carlisle came home with a grave look upon his face.

"What's going on Carlisle?" Esmee asked, worried.

Everyone was assembled in the living room.

"Charlie Swan's mother is dead. He left yesterday to go to the funeral." He replied.

"We have to go, now!" Alice exclaimed, jumping on the occasion and putting a false sad look on her face.

"Yes. We'll wait a few days and we'll go. Give Bella time to grieve with her family without us imposing." Carlisle decided.

Everyone nodded, knowing it couldn't be discussed.

.

In Mystic Falls, the ceremony was very sad.

A lot of people loved Isabelle Swan and her death was felt throughout the whole town. The big church was full of crying people dressed in black. Damon respected Bella's wish not to see him and stayed in the back while Stefan, Elijah and everyone else got to comfort her. He knew he screwed thing up with her but he would do his best to fix it. She was the best thing that's ever happened to him, she helped healing his relationship with his brother, she trusted him, and she freed him from Katherine. He betrayed her, he needed to do something about it.

Bella was crying.

It was all she did lately but her grandmother had been everything to her. She saw that Damon was respecting her wishes and made sure to stay away from her. For that she was grateful, she didn't know how she'd react he she was to have to talk to him again so soon. She could either get angry and blow him up or be emotional and jump right back into his arms. Neither options sounded good to her.

A few hours after the ceremony, everyone was at the Swan's, eating, talking, giving words of condolences to the grieving son and granddaughter. From the corner of her eyes, Bella could see Anna and Elena yelling at Damon. She looked away, not wanting to see this now.

There would always be time for real life tomorrow.

.

At some point during the day, Bella left her father's side and walked into the garden. She stopped right were the body had been found. Someone had gotten rid of all the herbs and turned the dirt over to erase all traces of blood. She didn't know who did it and she didn't know if she felt relieved or angry about it. She let her tears run down her face once more, promising herself it would be the last time she cried over this.

.

Elijah was confused. He really liked Bella, she was refreshing, funny and actually smart. She was also very beautiful but then there was the young Elena who was so similar to his old love Tatia. Elena was the perfect mix between Katherine and Tatia. It was like she took the best of both doppelgangers and none of the bad. When he saw Elena he felt the love he felt for Tatia, that love that never really died but he knew he would always be afraid to get hurt by yet another Petrova. Bella on the other hand made him feel safe in this area. She wasn't the kind of girl who hurt people, she was the one getting hurt and forgiving too easily, just like him.

With Elena he would be happy but would he really love her or would he love the fact that she's Tatia's double? Would it be fair to the young girl? Besides, Elena wanted a human life. In 60 years or so he would be alone all over again after living his life in the past.

With Bella he knew he would be just as equally happy, maybe even more. He would be able to trust her and would make sure she trusted him, he couldn't deny that he felt a strong attraction to her and would very easily fall in love with her if he let himself go. But was it real or did he feel this way toward her because he was so desperate to feel something as good and beautiful as love?

Shaking those thoughts out of his head, he looked out the window to see Bella crying by the spot where her grandmother had been found. He knew she needed this time alone so he stayed away, just watching. When Damon tried to go and talk to her, he stopped him, telling him it wasn't the time.

He would have plenty of time to debate over dating Bella or not some more. Maybe she wouldn't even be interested in him, maybe she'd rather stay single for a while or date Tyler Lockwood or another of her suitors.

.

Charlie watched as Bella walked out and sighted. He wished he had the power to take her pain away but he knew that pain was just a part of life, part of being human. She needed to feel it and he needed to accept that there was nothing he could do to help her. Although he knew his daughter enough to know that the fact that her own mother hadn't called her back was also hurting her. Renee was being childish and immature and seeing what it did to Bella, he just wanted to jump in a car, probably Stefan's since he was just dying to try it out, and drive to Florida to give the woman a piece of his mind. Too bad he couldn't do it. he had drunk a couple of glasses and he was a cop, he couldn't drive while under the influence, especially this far away.

"Charlie, it has been a while…" He turned around and saw the voice belonged to Liz Forbes.

Seeing her in his mother's house, shy and pretty sent his back several years in the past, back when they were both just a couple of teenagers in love, thinking that they'd be together for the rest of their lives.

"Liz… It has, how are you doing?" he replied.

"Turns out that Bill was gay. We got divorced. You?"

"Divorced too. Renee wasn't the right woman for me. She likes younger men much better, probably because they reach her maturity level." he replied with a small smile.

"Are you okay though?" she asked him softly.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. I was ready for this to happen. I mean, not this violently but ever since she got sick I was ready to lose her." Charlie explained to his old friend.

"You haven't changed much."

"Last time you saw me I was 18 and driving away, I'm sure I've changed a lot!" Charlie chuckled.

"Not so much though. Not to me. You're still…" Liz stopped before she said something else.

"You haven't changed much either. I heard you were sheriff. Guess we were not so different after all hey." He told her, wondering if making small talk would ease the tension between them.

He shouldn't be feeling like this at his mother's funeral, he should have prepared himself to face her again. He should have prepared what he would have told her. He was so sure that after all this time he'd be able to face her without feeling like this... Why did he still feel like he had butterflies partying in his stomach whenever he saw her? he wasn't a lovesick teenager for crying out loud.

"I guess we would have fought over the job had you stayed." she replied softly.

"We weren't meant to be. High school showed us that." Charlie shook his head softly.

"Maybe we would have worked better out of school, in the real life. And I'm sure we would have found a way to work together, we always did well when we did something together." She suggested.

"Or we would have kept the on and off relationship we had back then and hurt our children. You wouldn't have Caroline and I wouldn't have Bella." He reminded her.

"You were always so wise." she smiled.

"I'm glad you're here for Bella though, I don't like her being alone but I know you're around. I feel better leaving knowing you're around." Charlie confessed in a more serious manner.

"I'll always be around Charlie, she has so much of you in her." It was obvious that the two of them still felt something for each other.

"Liz…" Charlie knew what she was thinking about and tried to stop her from saying it.

"Do you ever think about how our lives would be like now if I hadn't lost it? If I had passed the 3rd month and been more careful?" she asked him, looking sad.

"Liz…"

"Do you?" She insisted.

"Of course I do. Every time I look at Bella I think of that baby. But we were too young, it wouldn't have worked."

"Is it why you really left? To get away from the pain?" she asked him.

"Part of it was yes, but I also wanted to get away from all the supernatural. It was easier to ignore its existence far away, this way I didn't have to accept it."

"I missed you a long time, I waited for you to come back. Even after I got with Bill…"

"I almost came back a few times, but I just couldn't, it was too hard." He told her softly.

"When are you leaving?" She asked him softly.

"I have to be back to work in three days, I guess I'll have to leave tomorrow." he replied just as softly.

"Maybe you could come over and have dinner with me before that. Tonight maybe?" she asked.

"Is it wise?"

"What's the worst that could happen?"

"Well, now that you've asked it… You can be sure it will." He chuckled.

"So, will you come? The house is still in the same place, it hasn't moved." She told him, adding a teasing smile on the last part.

"Sure, I'll come." he replied.

They exchanged a few more smiles and soft words before they parted ways.

Caroline had heard everything and made a mental note to tell Bella about it later. They almost became sister, their parents used to be together. Under other circumstances, it would make her rush outside to tell Bella but since this was Isabelle's funeral, she decided it would be better to wait a few days before telling her.

.

Later, after everyone went home, Charlie sat down with Bella and took a while to tell her about his past with Liz Forbes. The young witch was surprised and kind of shocked but encouraged her father to go to his date.

"There is more Bella, about the will of your Grandmother…" Charlie started to say but hesitated.

"What is it? I don't need to leave, right? I like it here, I feel like I belong..."

"Not at all. She and I talked about it when she found out she was sick and I agreed with her decision. She's leaving you everything."

"E…Everything? But what about you?" Bella asked.

"Don't worry, I have everything I need. I might take a few souvenirs with me before I leave but most of it will stay here with you."

"You don't mind me staying here then?"

"No, I know that you won't be alone and you're mature enough to take care of yourself. You inherited more than enough money to live without having to worry for a few years. I know that you'll be fine." Charlie told his daughter before kissing her forehead.

.

After that, Charlie went to get ready and soon, he left and Bella was alone. The young woman walked up to the magic room, opened the Book of shadows, placed 9 big white candles in a circle and pronounced the spell to summon a spirit she had used a few times before.

Just like every time she used it, little lights appeared but they didn't bring her Isabelle Swan but another woman whose portrait she had seen in one of the halls.

"B…Bianca Swan?" Bella asked, intimidated by her ancestor.

"My, oh my, you are beautiful. You must be a real heart-breaker." Bianca complimented her with a smile that immediately made Bella think of the diary.

"I don't mean to be rude but what are you doing here? I didn't call for you." Bella asked in an apologetic voice.

"I know you didn't. You wanted to speak with your grandmother." Bella nodded and Bianca kept talking:

"You're not ready yet and neither is she. Isabelle needs to get used to the fact she is now dead and living in a whole new world. You must accept that she is dead. Only then you will be able to see her. Give it time for you both to be ready."

"I miss her so much already."

"I know Little Bella, and she does too."

"Who did this to her?"

"I think you already know."

"Alice couldn't have done it since she wasn't in town. Did she ask someone to do it for her?" Bella asked.

"Alice doesn't work alone anymore. She's found an ally that is just like her. Together they are far more dangerous than they were alone." Bianca replied.

"Who is it?" Bella asked again.

"I can't say. The journey is just as important as the destination sweet Bella, you know that. I have to go now. We're watching over you, you're never alone." And with a few more lights Bianca Swan was gone, leaving Bella alone but feeling better.

.

While Bella was living her disappointment, Charlie was having a good time relieving the past with Liz. They had always had a lot of things in common and they still did. For a minute, Bella's father could see himself living in this house with his old love. He could also see her in his house in Forks, he was much more comfortable around the supernatural now and would be able to handle everything. Her presence would definitely make everything easier, just like it did back then.

Shaking his head, he went back to reality. They had had their chance. They missed it. Now it was too late.

The evening went by pretty nicely and they were having so much fun that before they knew it they were making love like when they were teenagers.

"Are you going to sneak out like when we were young?" She asked him afterward.

"I might if you ask nicely." He chuckled.

"I wish you didn't have to leave." She admitted.

"I have to get back to work, to real life."

"I'll miss you."

"So will I Liz. So will I."

A few more kisses later Charlie Swan was gone, going back to his mother's house for a few hours of sleep before he had to take his plane.

.

After talking with Bianca, Bella looked through the Book some more and soon found a page she had never seen before.

" _The Slayer,_

 _In every generation one girl is born._

 _Only one can exist at the same time._

 _She is a human with the strengths to kill vampires and others supernatural beings._

 _Her duty is to guard and close the Hell mouths of the world._

 _Her mission is never done, her fate is to be alone, her gift is death."_

Thinking this could be useful information, Bella grabbed a pen and wrote everything down to give it to the council later. If they ever needed help, they would have a way out. Under the presentation, there was a presentation of the council of Watchers, a group of men that controlled the Slayer. From the tone of the book, the previous Swan witches didn't like them very much. There was also a small map of the world with coordinates of Hell Mouths.

Bella read the explanations and realized she really felt for the Slayer. Being alone with such a burden on her shoulders… It had to be hard. Bella decided that when she was done with high school, if nothing important or life threatening happened, she would seek out the current Slayer and offer her support and friendship to her.

.

After he got home from the funeral, Damon spent a while with Stefan, remembering Isabelle, before he decided to go out and have a drink at the Grill. As he drunk, a woman he had seen on the local News came and started flirting with him. She obviously wanted to get some action and he was so frustrated that he didn't think, he let himself go and took her home. Of course the woman enjoyed herself, women always did with him.

However, when he woke up the next morning, Damon didn't want to see her face so he woke her up, told her to get dressed in a harsh voice and ordered her to leave. The poor woman looked shocked at his harsh behavior but did as he asked anyway.

.

The next day, Bella woke up and went downstairs. She prepared some coffee for her father and got herself some Orange juice. She didn't have to cook anything since people had brought her lots of muffins and cupcakes the previous day. She packed a few for her father to take with him on the plane.

When he got down, his bag were packed and he had an extra one with the few things he wanted to take with him. Bella and him kept things quiet and simple, as usual.

"Will you be okay Bella?" He asked her as she parked her car at the airport.

"Don't worry, I will. Stefan and everyone else are here for me if I need anything." Bella reassured him.

They hugged goodbye and Charlie was gone.

Bella was alone.

.

As she drove back in town after driving her father to the airport, Bella parked her car on the side of the road in front of her house when she saw Rose, the vampire who had sex with Damon and tried to kidnap Elena, walking without a care in the world in HER street, in front of HER house.

Ragging, Bella got out of her car and walked, calling the vampire's name only to realize they weren't alone, Stefan, Elijah and Anna were there too, arguing with the woman.

"I suggest you leave now Rose, you've done enough. You know enough to know that you don't want to anger me." Elijah stated in a hard voice.

"You're not welcome in this town!" Anna snapped.

Bella didn't listen to what Stefan said and used her power to throw Rose into a nearby tree just as Damon arrived.

"Get up bitch! We have an argument to settle." Bella yelled in a hard voice she hardly recognized as hers.

"I didn't do anything! You're nothing compared to me! You didn't deserve him!" Rose yelled back arrogantly as Bella used her blasting power to make the vampire's hand explode. Of course it was still there, but it must really hurt and would take a while to heal.

"Is that all you got baby witch?" Rose asked.

"I'm only warming up, I'm going to take my time with you. I could make you suffer for a long time you know, even spell you in the fires of Hell forever if I decided to do so." Bella smirked as she sent a piece of wood into the vampire's stomach and watched her drop to the ground again.

"I didn't do anything bad, I just wanted to enjoy my new free life the way I deserved. I deserve to get whatever I want." Rose tried to calm Bella down.

Bella threw her back against the tree and didn't even reply when she blasted the vampire's leg, making it bloody and weak. Getting more scared by the second, Rose ran away as fast as she could, but not before Bella used her magic to take Katherine's necklace off of Rose's neck.

"Bella… I…" Damon started as he walked closer to her.

Bella looked at him with angry eyes and threw him against a tree.

"I'm sorry, okay?" he yelled as she turned around to walk home.

Bella knew it wasn't the kind of things he said often, almost never. He must truly mean it and it touched her, but it wasn't enough.

"It doesn't change what you did." she replied in a softer tone.

"Please forgive me Bella, I miss you!" he pleaded.

"Even if I work on forgiving you, we will **never** get back together Damon. It's too late for that now." Bella shook her head.

"I can work hard for us to work Bella, I really want it to." He pleaded.

"I can forgive you and consider you a friend again if you give me time, but I can't get back together with you. We had our chance Damon, and you blew it."

"And now it's too late?"

"I guess it just wasn't meant to be." Bella replied as she turned around and walked toward her house, leaving everyone outside.

As soon as she was home, Bella ran herself a big hot bubble bath and relaxed while she thought of her future.

She really wanted to do something with Bianca Swan's journal, but also with all the others. She needed to speak with Elijah about it since he had experience with writing and dealing with editors. Maybe he'd be able to point her in the right direction.

Then she had to find who Alice got to kill her grandmother so she could get revenge. She knew it would be justice.

It seemed like she would have to face Damon soon, try to be his friend. She would have to be really strong to get over the weird ex-phase but she knew she'd be able to do it. She was strong and now she was the last Swan Matriarch. She didn't know how she'd find people to be the matriarch of, but since it had been written, either she'd have children, or she'd end up discovering more family members. Maybe she'd even welcome other witches in her family, who knew.

* * *

 **What did you think?**

 **I'm sorry for those of you who didn't want to see Damon cheat on Bella with Rose but it's an important part of the story I didn't want to change.**

 **So, the "go kiss a frog" is new... A last minute inspiration. The rest is mainly longer sentences, small bits added here and there, details that weren't there before...**

 **Review please?**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	9. Chapter 9

_Chapter 9 :_

Alice was in the car with Emmett, Rosalie and Edward, driving toward Mystic Falls while the others were in the other car. Her phone vibrated:

" **Bella and Damon are over. He cheated on her while she was finding the body. She's really hurt. Kat."**

Along with the text message was a picture of Bella when she found the body, showing just how destroyed Bella was at that moment.

" **Good. Have you been injured?"**

Alice was concerned, she truly cared about Katherine.

" **I lost the amulet but nothing else. I'm fine. See you soon."**

Alice smiled. Everything went according to her plans.

Glancing to the side, she could see Edward was getting excited at the idea of seeing Bella again. Whenever she could get him alone, she used the opportunity to tell him that everything would be fine, that Bella belonged with him and that nothing would be able to stand in his way. That the only way Bella could be safe and happy was with him. He bought it all, he was very malleable and she loved it. She felt like she was already queen.

.

It had been a couple of days since Charlie went back to Forks and Bella had been seen by few people since. She had looked through her grandmother's things and gave a lot of her cloths to charity, sold her grandmother's car cheap to Matt who absolutely needed one and refused to have if for free and read a lot of the diaries she yet had to read. Now, she was at the Grill and after assuring most people that she was fine and thanking them for their concern and the food they had sent her, she got her phone out.

"Hello Bella."

"Hello Elijah, am I disturbing you?" She asked him, wondering if calling him for this was such a good idea.

Would he even want to help?

"Not at all, I was looking through old books. What can I do for you?"

"Funny, I need to talk to you about old books." She chuckled.

"Old books?" Elijah sounded slightly confused now but she could hear an hint of interest in his voice.

"Do you think you could meet me at the Grill?"

"Sure, when?"

"How about now?" Bella asked him.

"I'll be there in less than 5 minutes." He promised before hanging up with a smile.

"What do you need from Elijah?" Bella heard Damon ask her from behind her.

She turned around.

"Hello Bella, how are you doing since I broke your heart? Oh Hello Damon, I'm fine, what about you?" Bella replied while rolling her eyes.

"So? Are you going to answer me?" Damon asked.

Bella noticed the bimbo like girl waiting at the bar, her eyes dead set on Damon.

"You date is waiting for you. Next time you want some answers, ask the question politely and don't forget to say _Hello_." Bella replied.

Damon growled angrily and turned around, grabbed the bimbo and left the Grill as Elijah pulled up with his car.

The original was wondering what Bella wanted to see him for but was always happy to have the opportunity to spend some time with her. She reminded him of a very good friend he had lost a long time ago, back when he was still human. When he entered the Grill, he immediately spotted her. The sun shone on her hair, showing the natural red she had in them. She looked even more beautiful than usual.

"Hello Bella. So, what can I do for you today?" he asked her.

"Thanks for coming Elijah. Please sit down. I was wondering if you meant it when you offered to help me with my project of publishing Bianca Swan's diary." Bella asked him shyly.

"Of course I did. Why?"

"Because I've been thinking a lot about it and was wondering how to proceed." She told him.

"Well, first, you need to rewrite it the way you want it published."

"I started already. It's going to take a while but I can do it. What then?"

Matt came by and they ordered some pie and tea.

"When you have a few chapters done, I can take you to a friend of mine who's an editor. He will decide if he wants to publish it or not. If he does, things like contract and number of pages will be discussed. Of course I will be there and help you along every step if you want me to be." By the time he was done explaining, Matt came back with their pies.

Bella suspected Matt of being especially quick to help her because of the cheap price she had sold him her grandmother's car at.

"That's very nice of you, I will probably need your help a few times. I've never done this before." Bella replied.

"I did a few times. I'll be there as long as you need me Bella, you have my word." Elijah promised her, looking at her right in the eyes.

Bella blushed. She could feel something intense in his stare and it made her wonder if it would be right of her to date someone so old. Shaking her head, she took a piece of pie in her mouth and they began talking about the book and what she was thinking of doing with it.

.

The Cullen's arrived in Mystic Falls in the middle of the day and the sun was bright.

"We can't stay in the car all day until she comes home and we can't wait outside, it's too sunny." Carlisle stated.

"We just have to go inside and wait." Alice decided, already starting to make her way there.

"No! We can't do that, it would just be rude!" Esmee protested.

"Bella would hate us for this." Jasper replied, agreeing with Esmee.

"Well, what do we do then?" Rose asked.

"We could run real fast and wait in her back yard." Emmett suggested.

They all agreed and, in super speed, left their cars and went to Bella's back yard to wait on the porch for her to come back home.

.

Bella didn't see time pass by her but by the time they were done, she drove home only to find two fancy looking cars parked in front of her house.

Two cars she recognized very well because she had been hoping to see them for a few weeks after Edward left her and before her grandmother had told her the truth.

Two cars she didn't want to see anymore.

Two cars that had brought with them 7 people she wasn't ready to see so soon. Certainly not after what Alice dared do to her grandmother.

She was angry and before she did anything rash, she took a big breath in to calm herself, got her cell phone out and texted Stefan, Caroline, Anna and Elijah:

 **"Cullen cars are at my house. Come help before I stop thinking and kill them all."**

She didn't even sign, she just sent it and took a second deep breath before she drove past the two empty cars and parked hers in her driveway.

She was surprised to see the two cars empty and wondered where they could be when a bad feeling came over her. They wouldn't have dared coming inside a witch's house without being invited in first, right? Seething with anger and power, she walked to the front door and opened it with her key. Apparently, they hadn't broken in this way.

As soon as she had the front door closed behind her, she heard a big knock on the back door. Sighting, she considered walking in her room and pretending they weren't there but she knew they would only keep knocking before eventually coming in uninvited.

She let her anger out and walked to the back door, opening it with a big sudden swing and using her powers to push everyone away from her and the house. Just like she thought, they were all here, spread across the yard, getting up after being magically pushed away. They all looked surprised and Bella had conflicted feelings. She was especially angry when she saw Alice so close to the spot where her Grandmother had been found dead.

"Bella…" Edward greeted her but didn't say anything else when he saw Bella's glare.

"I missed you so much Bella, I swear I didn't want to leave!" Alice exclaimed, trying her best to sound innocent.

However, Bella knew what to do:

" _Let Alice, quick as freeze, stop this snit and quickly freeze!_ " Bella recited it and immediately Alice stopped moving.

Since she was supernatural, she could still move her eyes and hear everything, she was just frozen in place and unable to speak.

"How dare you come here, Alice? The other I can understand and even allow on my property but **you**?" Bella snapped angrily.

"I don't understand Bella, what did Alice do?" Edward asked, truly confused, just like the others.

"What didn't she do? She sent Victoria here to kill my grandmother. I found and killed Victoria but obviously Alice sent someone else to do the dirty job. I want to know who it is and make them both pay." Bella snapped back as Elijah, Damon, Stefan, Caroline and Anna arrived behind her.

"Bella, are you okay?" Elijah, Stefan and Damon asked in one voice.

Bella nodded.

"So they are the Cullen?" Caroline asked.

Again, Bella nodded.

"Who's Assward?" Anna asked.

Edward took an offended look on his face and Bella pointed toward him.

"Do I know you?" Carlisle asked Elijah.

"I'm Elijah Mickealson, I helped your father find and kill bad vampires when you were just a little boy. Had I known you changed into a Cold One I would have come to try and help you Carlisle." Elijah replied to the Doctor who looked like he remembered suddenly.

"Yes, Elijah… The man with the fancy clothes and the nice gifts." Carlisle nodded with a nostalgic smile.

"Bella get away from these people. That man has very bad thoughts about you." Edward ordered, nodding Damon's way.

"Bad thought? In what world?" Damon replied.

"You're thinking of ways to win Bella over, you're thinking about her being naked." Edward replied like it justified his accusations.

"You two shut it right now before I freeze you like I did Alice!" Bella snapped.

She was angry and Damon knew better than to anger her further. Apparently, Edward heard the warning too and stayed quiet.

"Bella I…" Jasper started.

"Not now… Jasper, Rosalie, you two are welcome to step on the porch until I can see you inside. The others, you better have a good explanation." Bella declared.

Jasper and Rosalie went behind Bella and on the porch.

"What is it you accuse Alice of doing exactly, Bella?" Edward asked her like she was crazy.

"Do you have proofs?" Esmee asked.

"You want proof? Fine, I've been thinking about this day ever since I buried my grandmother and I know exactly how to show you who really is Alice." Bella replied before she recited:

" _For those who want the truth revealed, opened hearts and secrets unsealed. From now until it's now again, after which this spell ends. I who live in this house will hear the truth from Alice's mouth._ " As she finished saying the words, lights appeared and settled on Alice.

Bella smirked.

"So Alice, looks like Esmee and everyone else need proof of what you've done and who you are. Lets give it to them, alright?" As she said this, Alice's mouth unfroze.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Alice snapped quickly, still trying to look innocent.

"Really? Let's see… Did you order Victoria to kill my grandmother?" Bella asked.

"Yes." Alice replied, shocking everyone.

"Why did you want my grandmother dead so badly?" Bella asked, tears in her eyes as she was reminded of her pain.

"Because it would bring you pain, I would have come back and comforted you in your time of need. Then you would have been my little pet when I got to the top." Alice replied, looking angry at herself for not being able to hold back.

"What top?" Carlisle asked.

"What do you mean when you get to the top?" Bella asked, knowing only she could bring the truth out of Alice when Carlisle couldn't.

"I'm going to be the Queen of all supernatural." Alice replied simply.

"Well, aren't you a little ambitious thing?" Damon he rolled his eyes.

"Who did you get to kill my grandmother?" Bella asked.

"My new best friend, my sister, my soul mate. We were meant to meet." Alice replied.

Bella sighted. She needed to be more specific.

"What is the name of the person you asked to kill my grandmother?" Bella asked again this time.

"You know her, or so I've heard. Your two friends here definitely know her. They both used to be her pets. Katherine!" Alice replied and it was obvious she had been trying to resist.

"Katerina?" Elijah exclaimed.

Everyone was shocked and a lot of the vampires who knew Katherine were growling.

Out of nowhere and surprising everyone, Katherine appeared.

"Don't worry Alice, I've got your back." The bitchy vampire announced quickly before she grabbed the still frozen Cold One and ran off.

Out of rage, Bella blasted a tree behind Edward who jumped near Carlisle and Esmee with a very girly screech.

"How come we didn't see it coming?" Emmett growled angrily.

"She probably had more abilities than she told us. I wouldn't be surprised if she had been planning everything since she woke up as a Cold One." Carlisle suggested in a sorry tone.

"Bella, Love…" Edward started to say as he walked toward her only to be stopped by Elijah and Damon.

"Don't you dare call me Love Edward! You don't love me! If you did you wouldn't have left me all alone in the woods! I don't want to have to deal with you right now Edward, I can't… I want you to leave!" Bella snapped very seriously and angrily.

"Maybe you should take one of the cars and drive to our hotel Edward. Try to remain out of the sun." Carlisle told his eldest son.

"Maybe I can help you with that. Let's see… _Let the object of objection become but a dream as I cause the seen to be unseen. Stop the present Cullen's from sparkling so they can live their lives without worrying._ "

Immediately, the Cullen present in Bella's back yard stopped sparkling.

"Go now, dear." Esmee softly told Edward who left, looking down.

"I'll go and make sure he doesn't cause trouble in town. See you later Bella." Caroline offered as Anna nodded too and followed the blond vampire out of the garden.

They would both keep an eye out for Edward, Alice and Katherine.

"Maybe you should go with them Damon. We don't know who else is around and working with Alice. Someone like Rose might still be around town looking for trouble or allies." Bella suggested harshly his way.

"Fine, as you wish." Damon agreed reluctantly before following the two vampires out.

Now, Jasper and Rosalie were standing on the back porch, then was Bella with Stefan on her right and Elijah on her left. Facing her were Emmett, Carlisle and Esmee. As much as she didn't want to talk with them and listen to what they had to say, Bella knew it was something she had to go through.

"How come Edward didn't see anything coming?" Rosalie asked.

"Either Alice has the power to control the thoughts she lets him hear or he is too distracted to notice." Carlisle guessed.

"Okay, as much as I want to be deep in my bubble bath right now, I know that I need to be the better person and listen to what you have to say." Bella stated.

Esmee still looked sad over the discovery of Alice's betrayal and manipulations. Even if everything still wasn't very clear and they didn't know why they were needed in her plan, at least they were warned.

"Bella, I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am about what you had to go through because of us. We didn't want to leave this way but when Alice told us it was for the best, that you would get gravely injured if we stayed any longer… We did what we thought was best for you and went against our better judgment. We missed you dearly." Carlisle explained.

"Yes, it seems that Alice got everyone fooled." Bella nodded.

"I swear I fought to stay Bella. And then when it was clear that I couldn't I fought to at least tell you goodbye. I didn't want to leave. You were my baby sister and I missed you so much, I fought with everyone, even with Rosalie." Emmett pleaded.

"It's true, he got mad at us and didn't speak with anyone for a while." Rosalie added.

"We were stupid to listen so blindly to what Alice told us. We never wanted to leave you, we really thought it was for the best." Esmee added.

"I can understand how you were manipulated by Alice and I can forgive it, but I need time to be able to be your friend again." Bella decided.

"We understand." Carlisle nodded.

"Right now, I need to speak with Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett. It would be best if you and Esmee left, Carlisle. Maybe… Stefan, you should spend some time with them, Carlisle is on your diet after all. I think you will get along with him really well." Bella told the vampire she loved like an uncle.

"Good idea Bella, I'm sure we have a lot to speak about. Why don't you follow me to my house?" Stefan suggested.

The couple nodded and followed him out of the property. Soon, a car was started and they were gone.

"Do you need me to stay Bella?" Elijah asked her.

She could see concern in his eyes along with something else she couldn't quite identify and decided to ignore for now.

"No, I'll be fine. I can defend myself really, I just needed you all here to stop me before I used the spell I used on Victoria and killed them all." Bella explained with a smile.

"Very well then, I'll go to the Boarding House and spend some time with Carlisle. I wonder how much like his father he is." Elijah replied before leaving.

.

Once she was alone with the three remaining Cullen's, Bella grew a little nervous.

"We should move this inside. Follow me." Bella told them as seriously and professionally as she could.

"You really destroyed Victoria on your own?" Emmett asked with surprise.

He sounded impressed.

"Yep, I was pretty angry but then again, you saw what I did to your garage. Victoria was even easier. A spell strong enough can destroy anyone." Bella explained.

"Even me?" Emmett asked.

"Of course, but I'm a good witch, I use destroying or banishing spell only on people who deserve it." She explained as they all sat down.

"Bella, I want to thank you now for the option you're about to give me." Rosalie spoke out and it sounded like she had been fighting to keep these words in ever since they arrived.

"You're welcome." Bella replied with a nod.

"I would offer you something to drink but I don't have animal blood." she added.

"You have human blood here?" Jasper asked her with surprise.

"My family has had vampire friends for a very long time and my grandmother is a strong believer that a good host always has what it takes to please her guests. My grandmother always told me that." Bella replied and added:

"We usually have animal blood, Stefan doesn't need to drink much. Small animals are enough. Sometimes he hunts bigger animals like deer and drains them so we have blood in the fridge. He keeps some too."

"Well, we'll go hunting soon, we can certainly bring you some." Emmett offered.

"Thank you. Maybe you could take Stefan, he's a bit lonely in his hunting trips. Damon tried what he calls the 'bunny diet' but he doesn't like it much."

"Sure, could be fun." Emmett agreed, already eager to make it happen.

"Why does Damon feel so much regret when he looks at you?" Jasper asked Bella.

"Because we dated and he screwed up. I forgave him but told him we were never getting back together. He'll move on." Bella replied.

"He seemed determined to get you back." Jasper insisted.

"Well, it's probably the soldier in him talking, he was in the confederate army before he was changed." Bella shrugged her shoulders.

"Really? Me too, I'll go and talk to him later, maybe we had friends in common or something." Jasper suggested.

"He wasn't in it for long but why not, Damon needs friends right now." Bella replied thoughtfully.

"You seem to be doing fine Bella, I'm sorry for your loss." Rosalie said.

"Thanks, I do my best to get by without her. I know she's watching over me and when we're both ready, we'll be able to talk again."

"With magic?" Rosalie asked her.

"Yes, I can contact people that passed away. Sometimes it helps bringing closure to the one that were left behind." Bella explained.

"And you're positive you can use your magic to help the two of us?" Rosalie asked Bella, pointing to Jasper and herself.

"Yes, I've done a few researches, I can do the spell on Jasper right now but for you it's going to take some time Rosalie. I suggest we take care of Jasper first then I'll explain to you and Emmett the options you have." The young witch explained.

"Sure, thanks." The three of you answered.

"Come, follow me." Bella ordered as she stood up.

"We're not staying here? Where are we going to do this?" Emmett asked, surprised.

"I have everything I need in a special room upstairs. Come." She explained as she showed them the way.

.

Once in front of the door, she opened it and went directly to the book where a piece of paper stuck out.

"That's one very big book!" Emmett exclaimed.

"Don't touch it or it will shock you." Bella warned them with a smile.

"It's all spells?" Rosalie asked softly.

"Yes, Information about different supernatural species and spells that have been used by my family before. I added the one I used to destroy Victoria, and if the one I created to help Jasper works I'll add it as well." Bella explained as she took the piece of paper out of the book and unfolded it.

Bella looked over it for a while and decided it was good enough.

"Okay, let's see, Jasper. I need you to stand in front of me. Here we go: _Hear these words, hear my rhymes, I need this done for all times. With no limits, don't count the hours and let me call upon the higher power. Free Jasper from the heavy part of his empathy, other's thirst he won't feel and he will be free._ "

After she said her spell, a little red light went out of Jasper and disappeared. The blond man's expression immediately softened, like he was free of pain for the first time ever.

"How do you feel?" Rosalie asked Jasper with concern.

"Relieved. It's hard to explain, I know the thirst is there for Emmett and you but I don't feel it, not really, and as for your sorrow… It's the same, I know it's there but I can't feel it as my own anymore. I feel… free. Thank you so much Bella! I owe you now." He looked truly happy for the first time in a long time and hugged Bella close to him before he kissed her cheeks.

"You're welcome." Bella replied with a deep blush on her face while the other two Cold Ones in the room chuckled happily.

"I think I'm going to leave the three of you alone for now. It's a private subject." Jasper offered.

"Where are you going, do you know?" Bella asked him.

"We have rooms in the hotel, I guess I'll just go there." He replied.

"You could go find Carlisle and Esmee at the Salvatore Boarding house." Bella suggested.

When Jasper agreed, Bella called Damon, asking him to come and pick up Jasper to show him where the Boarding House was. He agreed and a few minutes later, Bella was alone with Emmett and Rosalie again.

"Why don't we go back down to the living room for this, it will be more comfortable." Bella suggested.

The couple nodded and, hand in hand, followed Bella to the living room downstairs.

"It was nice of you to do that spell on us so we don't sparkle anymore." Emmett mentioned while passing a window.

"This way life will be easier on you." Bella replied.

"It will take some time to get used to this." Emmett agreed happily as he sat on one of the couches with Rosalie by his side.

"I've thought a lot about it and even asked my ancestor's opinions about this, I can give you three options Rosalie." Bella started.

"I'm ready to hear them." She beautiful blond nodded softly.

"The first one is the most obvious: You stay a Cold One and adopt a child. I know you've probably already thought about it and left it aside because a human child brought into the supernatural doesn't seem fair to you but I can do a spell to track a supernatural child who needs a family. There has to be one somewhere in the world and he'd definitely be happier with you than with a human family or in an orphanage." Bella stopped, giving them a second to think about it before she kept going:

"The second option is also to most definitive one, and the hardest: I can change you back into a human without any limits of time but you wouldn't be able to be changed back again. You would have to live your life as a human and die an old woman. I can only use it on females, it wouldn't work on Emmett so you would be without him."

"Why wouldn't it work on him?" Rosalie asked in a small voice.

"Because the powers I can use are those of women who try to help other women the best they can. It's a very powerful ritual and I need to call on my ancestors to do it. They will only do such a radical thing if it's to help a fellow woman have children, not a male. They are all pretty stubborn and it's no use trying to convince them otherwise. Truth be told, most of them have been hurt by men and refuse to help them now." Bella explained.

She saw Rosalie and Emmett exchange a look.

"What is the third option?" Emmett asked.

"It is possible for human female and Cold One males to have children together. I copied from the Book of Shadow all the information I have on the pregnancy and the babies that end up being half-humans and half-Cold Ones. I could make Rosalie a human temporarily, long enough for you to get pregnant and deliver. That kind of pregnancy lasts only about a month. It's very dangerous and you would have to go through the change all over again after it's done."

"The baby will be immortal too?" Emmett asked.

"According to what my family found out, he or she would reach maturity after 7 years of quick development. After that the aging stops." Bella told them what she remembered reading in the book.

"What would you do if you were in my position?" Rosalie asked her.

"I don't know. Either the first or the third. If you use the third you can always come back for the first in a few years, but there is something you need to know… In order for you to become human you need another human girl who is willing to welcome you in her family and to donate a few drops of blood for the potion you will drink. The girl, or rather woman, who chooses to welcome you into her bloodline needs to be old enough to procreate. She doesn't need to be pregnant or already have children, she just needs to be able to do it." Bella added.

"It's a lot to think about…" Rosalie realized and Bella hoped, for Emmett's sake, that Rosalie wasn't considering the second option.

"I know… You should take your time to consider every option together. Come back when you're ready. Here, I copied everything my family knows about the third option, I think you should talk about it with Carlisle. You would definitely need his help for the third option."

"About that option… How long would I be able to wait until I get pregnant?" Rosalie asked the young witch.

"No more than 6 months. I know taking the time to enjoy being human is tempting but you really should work on getting pregnant right away. Waiting would be too dangerous. This is a once in a lifetime possibility." Bella warned her.

"Thank you. We will think about it." Rosalie nodded as she stood up.

"Maybe we should go to the hotel and talk about it calmly while the others aren't there yet." Emmett suggested and Rosalie nodded.

Bella walked them to the door and as Emmett walked to the remaining car, Bella called Rosalie back and added:

"If you choose the third option, I will gladly welcome you in my family and give you my blood."

"Wouldn't that make you like… my mother?" Rosalie asked with a smile.

"Probably, I prefer sister though. It would probably give you powers too, powers you would keep when you return to being a Cold One. If you accept my blood that is." Bella offered.

"If I choose that option I will gladly accept your proposition Bella. Being part of your family will be an honor." Rosalie thanked Bella before she kissed her on the cheek and joined Emmett in the car.

.

As soon as Katherine had taken Alice far enough, Alice unfroze and was able to run by herself. They both went to Katherine's room in Miss Flower's Boarding house.

"I can't believe she used magic on me, I don't understand why it didn't work like I wanted it to." Alice raged.

"Victoria must have sold you out. That truth spell was pretty strong I think." The Petrova vampire answered.

"I'm not giving up on my plan!" Alice warned her friend.

"Good, I think I know of someone who could help us. She doesn't like me much but she probably wants revenge on Bella right now. Her name is Rosemarie but she goes by Rose." Katherine explained the current situation to her friend and together, they decided that including Rose was a good idea.

"Maybe she'll even be able to help us keep Edward on our side. He is pretty lost right now. He doesn't want to believe what I said under Bella's spell, I can get him back on our side." Alice decided excitedly.

"That's great!" Katherine replied before they decided to do each other's nails until it was night and they could go out.

.

Bella was now free and decided to take the long bubble bath she so desperately wanted ever since she got home earlier. She took her time and when she finally got out, she was completely relaxed. She had received a message from Stefan saying he would be going hunting with the Cullen's that night and another from Damon informing her he really liked Jasper.

The young witch put on a nightgown and went downstairs to make herself some dinner. She felt like she was being watched but ignored it. Alice wasn't stupid enough to come back this soon to challenge her and the rest of the Cullen's went hunting with Stefan.

.

Rose was pissed.

She had to drink 3 whole humans to heal completely from the injuries Bella had done to her. A pathetic little human had hurt her, Bella didn't even deserve to be with someone like Damon. Rose knew it. He was made only for her and she must have bewitched him to get his attention. She was cut out of her thoughts when Katherine arrived with someone she didn't know.

"What do you want Katherine? I don't want to talk to you. Don't you think you've ruined my life enough as it is?" Rose snapped and growled.

"Now, now, It's not nice to snap at someone who comes to make a deal. My name is Alice and we have a common enemy."

"Who?" Rose asked, still glaring at the two women.

"Bella of course. She took my family away from me. She took Damon away from you. We should talk, I have a plan to fix everything." Alice told Rose in a soothing voice and made the vampire drop her defenses and looked like she trusted Alice.

"What do you want me to do?" Rose asked, completely under Alice's charm.

Katherine knew her new sister's gift would work perfectly on the weak woman that Rose was.

"I need you to be sorry, I want you to go to Bella when my family is with her, to apologize for what you did and beg her to give you a second chance. I want you to make Carlisle want to take you in the help you, I want you to get closer to Edward. I'm going to talk to him and have him trust you, I need him to believe you are his mate." Alice explained.

"How do you know it will work?" Rose asked.

"Because I'm just that good." Alice replied simply with a smile.

"I feel like I can trust you. Your plan looks good enough but what is your ultimate goal?" Rose asked her curiously.

"You don't need to know that right now, Bella will suffer and you will have the opportunity to see her in pain. My goal is none of your problem. Just know that Katherine and I are working together and we will reach our goal, no matter what. We can very well do it without you, you know, but Katherine mentioned that you had to be on the run for a long time because of her and including you is our way of making up for it." Alice added again in the soothing voice she knew always worked.

.

The day after the Cullen's arrival in town, Bella met with Carlisle and Esmee and got talking about her new life, the loss of her grandmother and everything she went through since they left her. They were both happy of the way she had grown and she knew in that moment that she had forgiven them. They were her family, even if she wasn't with Edward. They both seemed to understand that and looked fine with it.

"I'm glad you took Stefan with you to hunt. Even if his hunting trips are shorter, I think he's happier when he has company. Caroline, Anna and Damon go with him sometimes but they really don't like this diet. They only go when they lost a bet or did something wrong and need to be punished for it." Bella explained with a smile.

"It was our pleasure, Stefan is a really nice young man." Esmee replied.

"He once told me he wanted to be a doctor when he was human but now he's afraid he won't be able to handle it." Bella added.

"Yes, he told us of his ripper period." Esmee nodded in a sorry tone.

"It still haunts him what he did, I told him he should work on his control… Drink a little bit of human blood every day and work on increasing his intake every day." Bella informed them.

"It could be a good idea. With blood bags he wouldn't hurt everyone and I could procure him with contacts to buy the blood. What did he say?" Carlisle asked.

"He's thinking about it but I think he's afraid of the results. Afraid he'll go out of control and nobody will be able to stop him." Bella informed them.

"I'm sure we could help him…" Carlisle started.

"He won't leave Mystic Falls for a while. He has Elena here. For the first time he has a semblance of the human life he would have liked to have."

"And you're not comfortable with us staying here." Esmee understood.

"It's not that. You two, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie I'm fine with. Edward I can't deal with, and we all know that he needs you right now. He looks kind of out of it." Bella explained, reassuring Esmee and making her smile.

"I know that Jasper doesn't feel right coming back to Forks with us." Esmee started.

"He needs to be on his own for a while, see other things to learn who he is without Alice." Bella guessed.

"Yes, and Damon told him he was welcome to stay with them if he wanted to stay, I think he really wants to." The doctor agreed.

"That's great! He'll be able to help Stefan and Damon." Bella told them happily.

"Yes, it would be a good thing." Carlisle agreed.

They talked for a long time and Bella liked it. It felt right.

"Carlisle, I was wondering if you could do me a favor…" Bella started.

"Sure, anything Bella." He relied with a soft smile.

"I don't know if Stefan told you but we, founding families, have a council in town that takes the role of protectors of the town against the supernatural. We have a doctor in it. She's pretty young and I was wondering if you'd like to come with me to the next meeting this afternoon and let me introduce you to everyone and then to her. It would help them all understand that supernatural creatures aren't all bad." Bella explained shyly.

"It would be my pleasure Bella. When do you need me here?" he replied.

"You could come back around 4 and I'll drive you there." Bella replied as he stood with Esmee to leave.

"I'll be there Bella." He promised before they hugged goodbye.

.

Bella spent the rest of her day working on schoolwork and after lunch she decided to work on the version of Bianca's journal she wanted the Editor to see. When 4 came around, she was ready to go to the founder's council.

" **Do you need a ride for the council?"** Damon texted her.

" **I'm fine. I'm taking Carlisle with me. Thanks though."** She replied.

A few minutes later, Carlisle was here and she drove them both to the Lockwood house where the meeting was taking place. She had warned Richard and Carole that she would bring a Doctor that was also a Cold One and everyone was nervous.

When they entered the room, all eyes were on Carlisle and Bella introduced him to everyone as a friend of hers. The Doctor then told them the short version of his history. They were all surprised and Bella could see that the women were not impervious to his charms.

"So you use your blood lust to save lives?" One of the council's members asked him.

"I don't really have a blood lust anymore but my heightened senses help me find what is wrong with patients when technology cannot do it yet, like smelling internal bleeding when it can't be detected until it's too late." Carlisle replied.

"It must be amazing." Meredith Fell whispered.

"I use what God gave me to help people as much as I can. Surely in a town were vampires come often you use their blood to heal gravely injured patients." Carlisle asked her.

"Sometimes, but only when it's the only way to save the person. And I always make sure not to leave them alone until the blood is out of their systems." Meredith admitted.

The questions for Carlisle flew and the good doctor answered them with a smile on his face. He was always happy to help and he even promised Meredith to meet with her at the hospital and give her a few pointers he picked up over the years.

In the end, Carlisle decided to go to the hospital immediately with Meredith and help her as much as he could. He even offered to take a shift or two since they were understaffed.

"Thank you for this Bella. Meeting Doctor Cullen was very interesting, he worked so hard to be good…" Carole told Bella, obviously under Carlisle's charm.

"Yes. He's trying to make up for something that was never his fault in the first place." Bella nodded.

"It must have been hard, I mean he was raised basically like me, like us, his father was a vampire hunter and a priest. Like me…" Pastor Young admitted thoughtfully.

"Yes, he still has his father's cross." Bella replied.

The reunion was over and they were slowly walking to their cars. Bella was happy to see that she got them all to think.

.

Bella drove home satisfied with her day and found the front door broken. Quickly, she got her phone out and texted **"Someone broke in my house."** And she sent it to Elijah, Stefan and Jasper (All the Cullen's had given her their cell phone numbers).

Not wanting to wait for them, she walked inside knowing that she could defend herself. As soon as she stepped in the hall, something cold and as hard as stone grabbed her and pinned her on the floor, against the carpet.

It was Edward and his eyes couldn't stay fixed on one spot, they kept looking around the place like a crazy man.

"My sweet Bella, I knew you'd come for me, I knew Alice was saying the truth." He whispered as he caressed the skin of her stomach with one hand while the other held her hands above her head.

She couldn't blast him without her hands being free and she was having a hard time pushing him off her with her power.

"Alice is evil Edward." Bella managed to say as she tried to escape the kiss he was trying to put on her lips.

"Of course not Love, she's trying to help us but your powers are getting to your head because you miss me too much. Once we unite you will be fine." He was going higher with his hand and soon he was stroking her breasts.

"What do you mean by _unite_?" Bella asked, panicked.

All he wanted was for him to get off of her, to stop touching her.

"Making love of course, Alice told me it would solve everything and make you all happy with me again." Edward replied in a very serious voice that scared Bella even more.

She was trying to fight him but now he had managed to press his lips against hers and a whole new battle started for her to keep her lips closed when he tried to open them without hurting her too much. She would get bruised, she knew it. Bella panicked even more when the hand on her left breast disappeared right before she heard his zipper going down. A few more seconds of fighting and she knew he had his pants down. She assembled all her anger and fear and managed to push him away far away enough so she could free her hands and used her blasting power.

She didn't stop to think and blasted the one thing he was going to use to hurt her.

At the same moment, Elijah, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, Stefan, Damon, Carlisle and Esmee came in.

Rosalie immediately went next to a shaking Bella along with Esmee as Emmett and Jasper held Edward down.

"Bella, what did he do?" Carlisle asked.

The shaking witch did her best to explain everything.

"I probably won't have more than a few bruises tomorrow." Bella reassured them.

"Here, drink up." Elijah suggested as he came back with a bit of his blood in a glass.

Bella drank it thankfully while all the Cullen automatically looked at Jasper only to remember that he was perfectly fine now.

"What did you do to him? Why is he on the floor like that? And why can't he stop sobbing? Did you curse him or something?" Emmett asked Bella.

"Hum… I had to get him to stop hurting me, so... I, hum... I kind of blasted the thing he was going to hurt me with." Bella explain with a blush on her face.

It took a few minutes for her to see the other males understand because as soon as they did, they all brought a caring hand to their own members. From the corner of her eyes Bella saw Rosalie smirking.

"You blasted his _PENIS_?" Emmett exclaimed in horror.

"It was the first thing I could think of!" Bella defended herself.

"But… it… It's going to grow back, right?" Damon asked Carlisle with a terrified look on his face.

"I… I don't really know, I guess we'll have to see." Carlisle replied in a hesitant and small voice.

"I think I saw a piece go this way." Bella informed them, pointing to the stairs.

Still checking their own member, the males that weren't holding Edward down were looking for every pieces of the blasted member. After a good 30 minutes search, they believed to have it all.

"What if we're missing a piece?" Stefan asked.

"I'm sure I'll be able to make it grow back if it's a small enough piece." Carlisle replied quietly.

"Remind me never to contradict you Bella." Emmett told her gravely with a seriously afraid look on his face.

"You remind me of Sage sometimes. She would love that move." Damon told Bella before she glared at him for enjoying the situation.

Feeling her anger, he stopped talking.

Carlisle was about to say something when another vampire, female this time, appeared on the front porch of the house. She couldn't get in.

"Rose! Get out of here before I kill you!" Bella raged.

"I just came to say I was sorry Bella, I never wanted for all of this to happen. I didn't know what I was doing. When I saw Trevor die, I lost everything, even my mind." Rose truly looked sorry and Bella seemed to be the only one who wasn't buying it.

"I really want to change, I'm even going to try the animal blood diet." Rose added.

"Am I supposed to just believe you?" Bella replied while Elijah now stood right next to her in a protective manner.

Obviously, he didn't believe her either.

"Yes, I truly want to change Bella. I just never wanted to be alone anymore." Rose nodded.

"I don't buy it Rosemarie." Elijah snapped harshly.

Damon stayed in the back, knowing he shouldn't say anything right now.

"I'm not helping you with anything and if I cross you again after today I won't hesitate to kill you!" Bella snapped at her, fighting to stay calm.

"Bella… We have to take Edward home so Carlisle can treat him. Maybe we could take Rose with us, help her adjust and find her place in the world." Esmee suggested.

Bella told them they were free to do as they pleased but she also warned them that she wouldn't allow them back in this town as long as they had Rose with them. She knew she was overreacting but she couldn't help it, she had a bad feeling about this girl and knew it was a supernatural warning.

In the end, Carlisle and Esmee left with a still sobbing Edward and Rose while Jasper told them he would stay in Mystic Falls for a few more months. Emmett and Rosalie would follow them in a few days, after they had a talk with Bella about the option they chose and it was done.

.

Once everything calmed down, Elijah left with Stefan, Damon and Jasper, leaving Bella alone with Emmett and Rosalie.

"Are you sure you're okay Bella?" Rosalie asked her again.

"Yeah, don't worry, Elijah's blood healed everything and a good hot shower will clean up the rest." The young woman replied softly.

"What's the deal with him anyway? I get that you dated Damon and broke up when he ended up sleeping with that Rose but are you with Elijah already?" Emmett asked her.

"We're just friends." Bella told him.

"Are you sure he knows it? I've see the way he looks at you, trust me Bells, he likes you more than a friend." Emmett replied as Rosalie nodded.

"Anyway, I'm guessing you took a decision." Bella changed the subject.

"Yes. We talked about it with Carlisle and he said he would do anything in his power to help if we chose the third option. He took the copy you made to study it at home." Rosalie informed her.

"So you're choosing the third option? You're both okay with this?" Bella asked.

"Yes, we're willing to take the risk." Emmett nodded.

"Do you have another human in mind or do you agree to become part of my family?"

"I would be honored to become a member of your family Bella." Rosalie answered softly.

"You understand that it means your baby will also be a member of my family? If it's a girl she will be a witch. If it's a boy then that won't matter much." Bella explained.

"I know. We're okay with this. We're sure we can handle it." Emmett assured her.

"I can always give you the spell to bind the baby's power if needed. Actually, you will probably need to copy some spells of the Book of Shadows." Bella thought out loud.

"Will it shock me if I do it while you two do the ritual?" Emmett asked her.

"Actually no, it's a good idea. I know what I have to do by heart so here you go." Bella gave him the Book along with a big empty journal he could use. He went downstairs to begin his task, leaving the two women upstairs.

Bella took a silver bowl, big white candles, some herbs. She began mixing. At some point she asked Rosalie to put some of her venom in the bowl with the rest. After that, she poured a few drops of her own blood. She began mixing, counter clock wise and clock wise stirring. Rosalie stayed quiet next to her.

After a while, Bella rose and went to get a chair from the corner of the room.

"You might want to seat down. The difference might shock you otherwise." She warned her future sister who listened to her and sat down.

"I'm going to do the spell now. _Isabelle, Maria, Belinda, Patricia, Angela, Bianca, Veronica, Elizabeth and Gabrielle, Swan witches stand along beside me. With this blood help Rosalie in her quest, Help her be a mother, it's my request."_

Bella gave Rosalie the bowl to drink around the middle of the spell and now, Rosalie was illuminated by lights all around her. She could see spirits of the Swan witches behind Bella and they were all blessing her. It made Rosalie want to cry with happiness.

Suddenly, a movement Rosalie always thought she would never feel ever again started in her chest: a beating heart. Tears of joy appeared on her face. She jumped in Bella's arms, repeating over and over again " _thank you_ ".

Hearing the new sound in the house, Emmett came back in with the Book.

"I'm done." He announced, his eyes fixated on his now human wife.

"So are we." Bella replied with a kind smile.

"Maybe it would be best if you went to pick up your things and you two stayed here for the next couple of day before you leave. It will give me the chance to help Rosalie adjust to her new condition and help her with her powers." Bella suggested.

Emmett nodded, slowly approached Rosalie to press a soft kiss on her cheek without hurting her before he ran off to get their things.

While Emmett was gone, Bella helped her new family member to the kitchen where she made her some dinner as she explained the main rules of being a witch. She even got Rosalie to try a spell. Rosalie tried the Vanishing spell on an empty bottle of water and jumped when she made it disappear.

"I don't know what your personal power will be yet, I guess we'll have to see what triggers it." Bella replied.

When Emmett rushed back in, surprising Rosalie, he found himself frozen mid step, mouth open and arms full of bags.

"I guess your power is to freeze time!" Bella chuckled.

"Why aren't you frozen then?" Rosalie asked.

"Because I'm a witch from your blood, or the other way around. Anyway, our powers cannot be used against our own blood." Bella replied.

After that, the next couple of days were spent helping Rosalie control her power and learn a few useful spells. Emmett, too, managed to adjust to how he needed to move around his wife. He learned to be gentler but in case there was an accident, Damon had given them a bottle of his blood.

Before they went home, Bella gave Rosalie a list of things she would need to perform simple spells and reminded her to call her as soon as she needed anything.

.

After Rosalie and Emmett finally left and Jasper was the only Cold One left behind, Damon went to see Bella to try and ask her out. She turned him down again, reminding him they were friends and nothing but friends.

.

Alice and Katherine decided to follow the Cullen's from afar and went on their way to Seattle. They wanted to be close enough so they could control Rose and Edward but far enough that they couldn't be spotted.

.

In Mystic Falls, a new resident was entering his room in Miss Flower's Boarding house. He had a witch and a warlock with him and a project: Breaking the curse his mother hatefully placed on him so long ago and he was sure that nothing and nobody would be able to stand in his way.

* * *

 **So, what did you think? Not much changed in this one, just longer sentences and details added.**

 **Review please?**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	10. Chapter 10

_Chapter 10 :_

His initial plan had been very simple: arrive in town, find the doppelganger, break his curse, leave town and go make his hybrids. He hadn't even cared if he made enemies on the way, after having waited so long he just wanted his damn curse broken.

Why did Elijah have to go and spoil everything once again?

It's not like Klaus wanted to look for his brother. He was just taking a walk in town, planning on meeting the doppelganger and taking her with him when he spotted his brother in the terrace of a place called Mystic Grill with an exquisite and quite intriguing beauty. There were no other words, Klaus had never seen anyone who could capture his entire attention so quickly.

He could feel something strong about that girl and yet she seemed fragile, in need of protection. Klaus surprised himself when he thought he would love to be the one to protect her from the world and its dangers. His future hybrids would protect her like knights would a queen. He could love her if he decided to let himself.

Shaking his head, the blond original didn't understand what took over him. He had a plan when he first arrived and now, instead of staying in this Boarding house for a couple of weeks until the full moon, he decided to tell the lady he would be staying in town a while longer.

"Of course Mister Mickealson, you're probably eager to spend more time with your brother." She commented.

"My brother?" Klaus asked, wondering how she could know.

"You're not related to the other Mister Mickealson that's staying here?" She asked him.

"What's the name?" Klaus asked, pretending he didn't know who she was talking about.

"Elijah Mickealson, he's in room 4." She replied.

"Well, it's my big brother… I came in town for a special occasion, I should have known he came for the same reason. Please don't tell him I'm here, I want to surprise him when the time is right." Klaus asked and the sweet old lady agreed, always happy to help her customers.

.

Bella was with Elijah, listening to his suggestions for her book. It was after school and they had made plans to meet and work together on her book a couple of times a week. She was having a good time as usual and loved how he always found a way to make her laugh. However, she couldn't help but feel like she was being watched. She looked around but couldn't see anything or anyone.

"Something wrong Bella?" Elijah asked her with concern.

"I don't know, I feel like I'm being watched." Bella explained with a shrug of the shoulders.

Elijah looked around and didn't see anything.

"I don't see anyone." He assured her, still looking.

"The feeling is gone now. Anyway, thanks for your help again but I need to get home." Bella replied as she rose from her seat.

"You're welcome, I'm only one phone call away, you know that." He assured her as he kissed her hand like the true gentleman that he was.

.

Bella drove home only to find a familiar car parked in front of her house. It was Bonnie's car. Bella parked her car in her driveway and went to see what the girl wanted now. Bonnie was seating on the front steps, waiting.

"What is it Bonnie? I don't have time to fight today." Bella declared as she came to stand in front of the girl.

"I'm not here to fight, I came to apologize." Bonnie replied softly as she looked up at Bella.

"Really?" Bella sat next to Bonnie.

"I was just jealous of you. You had more powers than I did, people were paying attention to you, Damon was even nice to you and most of all you had your grandmother when mine had just died."

"Oh Bonnie…" Bella didn't know what to say now.

"I did a lot of thinking lately, Elena and Caroline helped me a lot…"

"And what came out of it?" Bella asked softly.

"Not everything or everyone is all black or all white just like not everyone is all bad or all good. Some people can be saved and you do that. You help save them." Bonnie replied in a small voice.

"Yes, I see you finally understood that."

"I'm not sure I'm ready to have my powers back, I think I would use them to attack Damon again so soon." Bonnie confessed.

"Why do you hate him so much?" Bella asked the other with in town.

"I don't know…"

"You're lying now." Bella simply stated.

"It stays between us?" Bonnie asked.

"Yes, it does." Bella promised.

"Because… He is so bad, Damon is the ultimate bad boy and I was never that girl but every time I see him I want to be."

"I don't understand. What girl aren't you?"

"The girl who falls for the bad boy and want to be with him so bad she feels like if she lets herself go she would disappear in his shadow. The girl that's being used and doesn't do anything about it." Bonnie replied sadly.

"Oh my God! You're in love with Damon?" Bella squealed.

"Shhhhh! don't say it so loudly, you never know who's around!"

"What's the problem then?" Bella asked Bonnie.

"Have you seen Damon? You know how he is. You've dated him!"

"I do, I know he's just afraid of letting people in and of being hurt."

"He cheated on you." Bonnie added like it explained everything.

"He did, but we were both at fault Bonnie. I stopped trusting him when he gave Rose a chance and he was hurt that I doubted his intentions. Hurting other people's feelings is his way of dealing with pain." Bella explained.

"That's why you forgave him?"

"Yes. But the fact that I'm not in love with him is why I'm refusing to give him another chance to be with me. He's just running after me because he thinks I'm the only one willing to give him a chance."

"Do you think I should give him a chance then?" Bonnie asked curiously.

"I think everyone deserves a chance at happiness, but I also think it could take time." Bella warned her.

"What should I do?" Bonnie asked Bella, a little lost.

"Start by being his friend. Show him that you care about him, that you're sorry for the way things used to be between you two and that you want to start anew but don't be afraid to call him out on his crap if you want him to see you as his equal and to respect you." Bella warned her.

"Thanks and again, I'm sorry."

"It's all good, don't worry."

"We're good?" Bonnie asked before she left.

"We're good." Bella nodded before going inside her house to start on her homework before she had to make some dinner.

.

Rosalie and Emmett were back in Forks with the rest of their family and things were good. Rosalie was human and happy. Emmett and she had been making love for the past few days without her getting too hurt and she was excited to see if she would be pregnant soon. Whenever she would get a bruise, she would drink a bit of the vampire blood they were given and she would heal instantly. However, she couldn't stop thinking that Rose had a bad vibe. She had to agree with Bella here, she didn't like Rose one bit.

The brunette vampire was always hanging out with Edward and the two of them were growing very close very fast. Rosalie, who wanted to protect her family more than anything, didn't like how dependent on the new vampire her brother was becoming.

On another hand, she practiced magic on a daily basis and was becoming quite good at it. She met in town with Sam Uley, the pack's Alpha who had been warned by Bella about what happened and why. She was now welcome on the reservation, along with Emmett since she was able to stop him if he was to lose control.

Bella and her talked about 4 times a week and Rosalie loved it, it was like having a real sister, which, technically, Bella was now.

.

Klaus had been in town for about a week now and he was still unable to stay away from Bella. He watched as she went to school, aced her classes, helped her friends, met with his brother to work on publishing one of her ancestor's journals and went home to do her homework and take care of her house. It didn't take him long to find out she was a witch, A real one. She was powerful enough to destroy him and yet he didn't worry. She was the kind of girl who would do the right thing and she would try to make a deal as soon as she learned he was in town. She was the kind of girl who gave second chances, just like the other witches from her family.

As he watched her work on the herbs in her garden, he couldn't help but worry. Why did he care so much? Why didn't he want to see her dead? Why did he put a bounty on Rose's head as soon as he learned she had hurt Bella? Did Elijah love her? How much did he love her? Where they more than friends? It didn't look this way but he couldn't help but wonder… Why did he want Bella so much? What was it he was feeling every time another male dared touch her or flirt with her? Had someone bewitched him?

.

Elijah was worried, he could feel that his brother Klaus was in town and he even smelled him his Boarding House and around Bella's house. Should he tell her or take care of it and be done with it? He didn't know, Bella would disapprove of him killing his brother without giving him a last chance to redeem himself. Sighting, he decided to call for a meeting at Bella's house.

A couple of hours later, everyone was at the Swan house.

"What's going on? Why are we all here?" Jeremy asked, wondering why Bonnie had willingly taken the seat next to Damon.

"Klaus is in town. I haven't seen him but I've smelt his scent all around town. I'd say he's been here for about a week or so." Elijah explained.

He was standing behind Bella's seat while Jasper was right next to her.

"What do we do?" Elena asked, obviously afraid.

"What I'm wondering is why he hasn't done anything yet, it's not his style." Elijah replied honestly.

"Maybe he's changed." Bella suggested.

"I don't believe it. He can't be trusted." Elijah denied and for the first time he and Damon seemed to agree.

"We can't do anything until he shows himself. We just have to wait until he comes to us and tells us what he wants." Stefan told them.

"Or we could try and kill him right now." Damon added.

"We can't just try and kill someone that hasn't done anything against us!" Elena protested.

"Elena is right. We don't attack him. We wait." Bella told them in a decisive tone as everyone nodded and went on their way.

.

Everyone left to go have lunch or go back to their daily activities and Bella was alone when she heard a knock on her front door. She opened it to see a very handsome blond man with well defined muscles smiling at her.

"Hello, I'm Klaus." He introduced himself in an enchanting voice.

Bella shook herself, she needed to concentrate. If she let him see that she was attracted by him, he would get the upper hand and she couldn't have that. She really hoped he didn't have bad intentions though, she'd hate to have to kill him.

"Figures…" she muttered and added in a louder voice "Hello Klaus. I suppose you know who I am, so can I ask you what you're doing here?" She asked him.

"Sweet Bella, I'm here to see if we could possibly reach a deal." Klaus told her, never parting with his smile.

His tone wasn't threatening and neither was his posture. He really looked like he just wanted to talk. Bella couldn't help but notice how different he was from Elijah. While Elijah dressed up in a suite everyday and appeared to be serious most of the time, Klaus dressed and acted relax. He was full of confidence and Bella was positively charmed by him and his dimples.

"Why don't we meet up later to talk about this?" She realized he could take it the wrong way and added quickly:

"No offence to your honor or anything but I would prefer if we had this discussion in a public place and not alone." She explained with a smile.

"I understand." He really did, he had been expecting this and would have been surprised had she not asked him that.

"Why don't we meet tonight at the Grill then? I suppose my brother will be accompanying you?" Klaus asked and Bella got the feeling Klaus didn't like Elijah being so close to her.

Was it wrong of her to feel good and flattered that both Original brother, who were both over 1000 years old, seemed attracted to her?

"The Grill is fine. Around 7 maybe?" She suggested.

"I'll be there pretty Bella. I'll be paying for dinner." Klaus replied before he turned around and left in his car.

Bella closed the door and sighted. Another charming vampire with incredibly good looks. She took her phone out and called Elijah:

"Bella, what's wrong?" He asked her as soon as he answered.

He sounded worried and she wondered of he always answered his phone this quickly or if she was the only one he answered for this fast.

"Klaus was just here, he wants to make a deal." She told him in a calm voice.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

"No, he didn't even try. He just came to my door knowing who I was and asked me if we could make a deal. I'm meeting him tonight at 7 at the Grill. Do you want to be there?" She asked Elijah.

"Of course I do. I'll meet you there." He declared before Bella hung up.

She really hoped Klaus was in a peaceful mind because she would hate to have to hurt him. He was too good looking to be killed. Shaking her head at her crazy thinking, she went back to eating her lunch, unable to keep her thoughts away from Klaus for long.

.

After leaving Bella's house, Bonnie decided to try and get closer to Damon:

"Hey Damon, I was wondering, could we talk?" She asked nervously.

"What is it Judgy?" He asked her, obviously wandering what was wrong with her.

First she sat next to him when there were so many other free places and now she wanted to talk to him? Still, he decided to hear her out instead of jumping in his car and hurrying home. Jasper, who was supposed to go home with him gave him a thumbs up, sign that Bonnie's intentions were good, and told him that he would find his own way back to the Boarding House.

"I just wanted to apologize for almost killing you on Founder's day. I'm really sorry and if you want I could buy you lunch. A peace maker if you will." She replied with a shy smile.

"What's the catch?" Damon replied.

"There is no catch, I'm just trying to change and Bella told me it would do me good to spend some time with you. You know, see how nobody is all bad and all that." She told him, hoping he would believe it.

"Okay then, let's go to the Grill." Damon agreed as he pointed to his car for her to go in.

The drive to the Grill was awkward and when they finally arrived, things were definitely weird. They got in and after finding a free table and ordering lunch, they began talking and slowly the conversation began flowing comfortably. They were both having fun and Damon was surprised that the young witch could be so much fun. She wasn't as boring or judgy as he first thought she was.

"Don't worry about it Bonnie, I had fun, I'm paying." Damon declared as Bonnie got her wallet out to pay for their meal before they left.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Yes. I might be an ass but I still know how to be a gentleman. You can be fun, I don't mind paying." He replied with a small smile.

"Thanks."

"Come, I'll drive you home." He offered as they left the Grill and went to his car.

Once he stopped his car outside her house she turned toward him in her seat and said:

"We should do this again sometime."

"Sure, why not. Text me whenever." He replied, wondering if she had been spelled or something.

He shook the question off, he had fun and that was what was important. He had a good time so why not give her a chance to have more fun with him? Still, he wanted to make sure of something so he took his phone out and texted Bella:

" **Did you put a spell on Bonnie or something?** "

A few seconds later, Bella replied:

" **No, I would never! Why?"**

" **Just wondering why she's being nice to me."** Damon replied honestly.

 **"** **Everyone can change, Damon, you more than all people know that. Give her a chance, she might surprise you in a good way."** Bella replied a couple of minutes later, making Damon smile.

.

Bella spent the afternoon doing homework and when the clock showed it was time to head to the Grill, she was ahead in her lessons. She grabbed her purse and ran to her car before she drove off. She was pretty sure everything would go fine, she usually got a bad feeling when things were about to go bad and right now she didn't have it.

When she arrived, Bella didn't see Elijah's car but since he wasn't staying far from the Grill, it didn't mean he wasn't already there. She opened the door and walked in to find Klaus waiting at a table while Elijah was in front of him. They both looked pretty tensed and Bella rushed with a smile on her face to diffuse the tension. She wouldn't be surprised if the two brothers hadn't exchanged more than short and tensed greetings before she came.

"Hey, sorry I'm late. I was doing homework and forgot the time." She apologized with a bright smile.

They both looked at her and smiled back.

"No problems Bella." Elijah replied.

"It's okay, I just arrived myself." Klaus added with a charming smile.

Just then, both brother stood up to offer Bella a chair and pulled the same chair for her. They looked up and glared at each other while Bella blushed and sat down, wondering if this had been such a good idea.

"So, what have I missed?" Bella asked them.

"Nothing, we were just getting done with greetings when you arrived, fair Bella." Klaus replied charmingly.

"Yes, why don't we get to the point right now?" Elijah suggested, annoyed with his brother's presence.

"Good idea." Bella nodded.

"I'm guessing you know what I want." Klaus started.

"To break the curse that your mother cast on you." Bella replied.

"Yes, that's all you've been trying to do for the past thousand years. You kind of have a one track mind when it comes to this." Elijah added.

"You would too is you were in my position Elijah but then again, you never really tried to understand why this curse hurt me, did you?" Klaus replied.

"We're here to make sure things are done peacefully and without any unnecessary death." Bella added quickly to prevent the brothers from fighting each other in a public place.

She had a feeling that these two had over thousand years of unsolved issues to argue out and she didn't feel like being between them when they finally decided to do it.

"Yes. Well, as long as my curse gets broken and I can create my hybrids, I'm ready to negotiate anything." Klaus agreed, looking only at Bella, pretending his big brother wasn't here.

Just then they were interrupted by Matt taking their orders. Klaus reminded them that he was paying and while Bella ordered a simple burger and fries, Elijah ordered the most expensive thing on the menu. In a place like the Grill it still wasn't much but it was a message to Klaus: he wouldn't make things easy for him.

"So, what is it you want exactly?" Klaus asked them both when Matt left.

"I want my family back. I want you to un-dagger them and set them free." Elijah announced.

"I want for Elena to survive the sacrifice and for the other two sacrifices to be people who actually deserve to die, not innocents. Also I want your word that you won't hurt anyone innocent in this town, ever." Bella declared confidently.

"That can be done, I'm sure you can ensure Elena's life and I will respect your wishes." Klaus told Bella.

"What about what I want?" Elijah asked.

"The minute I un-dagger the family, Mickeal will be on us. He will use them to kill me." Klaus replied.

They were once again interrupted by a waitress bringing them their drinks and orders. When she finally left, after trying to flirt unsuccessfully with both brothers, Bella suggested:

"I can do a spell to track Mickeal and then destroy him or send him into another dimension. I can make it safe for you all to be alive without him."

"That would be fantastic! The minute Mickeal is definitely dead I will happily un-dagger our siblings." Klaus promised before adding "I give you my word. I'll even consider doing this before I break my curse."

"Where are you staying?" Elijah asked his brother.

"At Misses Flowers' Boarding house, just like you. I'm in room 12, you're in room 4." Klaus replied.

"You don't have a house here?" Bella asked with surprise.

"No, not anymore." Elijah answered her softly.

"Then where are you all going to stay once they are undaggered? You need a place." Bella replied thoughtfully.

"Don't worry about us Bella, we will be perfectly fine." Elijah told her softly.

"Do you think your siblings will be able to live in peace?" Bella asked them both.

"Finn definitely will, he was always so serious." Klaus commented.

"We'll need to contact Sage to let her know he is awake. She's been waiting for him for so long… They will definitely both be peaceful but they might not want to hang around." Elijah added.

"Kol was always hot tempered but we will be able to keep him in controlled." Klaus added.

"He might be angry at Rebekah thought, she did betray him and is the reason he was daggered." Elijah argued.

"It'll be fine. We've always been able to keep Kol in check, all he wants is to be part of the family, to know we love him." Klaus replied, showing Elijah that he knew his siblings better than it seemed.

"Rebekah on the other hand might be pissed." Elijah said, looking at Klaus.

"Why? What's the story?" Bella asked them.

"We were in Chicago in the 20's, Stefan was there. It was one of his ripper periods. We met and eventually became friends, brothers even." Klaus started.

"Stefan never told me he knew you!" Bella exclaimed.

"That's because when Mickeal showed up and we had to leave I compelled him to forget about Rebekah and I so he wouldn't be in danger. I knew that if I left without compelling him, even with a good explanation, he'd go after us and put himself in danger. I couldn't have that." Klaus replied.

"Who knew you could care that much." Elijah muttered.

"Why will Rebekah be so angry then?" The young woman asked.

"Because she loved Stefan." Elijah revealed.

Bella looked shocked.

"She didn't love him Elijah, she _liked_ him. She enjoyed spending time with him but they wouldn't have lasted. It was nothing romantic, just lust. She was still grieving Marcellus, just like I was." Klaus corrected him.

The two brothers argued a little over Rebekah's feelings for Stefan and it evolved to Rebekah's ability to fall in love every other day before Bella cut their argument off:

"I was thinking that now that my grandmother is dead, I have a lot of free rooms and you could all move in as long as you respect my privacy and human life. It's a very large house and it's even too big for just me." Bella suggested.

"Are you sure?" Elijah asked.

"Yes. This way I won't be lonely and you will have a private place where you can help your family adjust and build back your relationships." Bella explained.

"That's very generous of you." Klaus replied, obviously accepting the offer.

"Thank you Bella." Elijah accepted as well.

"It's no problem. The floor where my Grandmother's room is, used to be, is full of empty bedrooms. There are 5 free bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. You will be able to have your own privacy there." Bella explained.

"Thank you, that's very generous of you." Klaus repeated, looking her in the eyes.

"It's actually a little selfish, I don't want to be alone all the time anymore, that's all." Bella replied with a blush.

"You know we don't believe that Bella, don't you?" Elijah asked her.

"I don't think you have a selfish bone in your body." Klaus added.

"So, why don't we go to my place to deal with Mickeal right now? We're done eating right?" She asked, changing the subject.

They both agreed and Klaus paid the bill before they all got out. Both original brothers took Klaus' car while Bella was in her own. Of course she was the first to arrive and when they arrived too, she invited Klaus in and showed them the way to her magic room.

She first used a card of the country to track Mickeal with a crystal and when she found out he was in North Carolina, she took another map, more detailed. She ended up finding out he was in a cemetery in Charlotte.

"Why isn't he moving?" Klaus asked.

"I don't know. Maybe he's trapped somewhere." Bella suggested.

"When are we going to kill him then?" Elijah asked.

"Well, no time like the present, right?" Bella told them with an enthusiastic smile.

"Let's go." Klaus agreed before they all left the room and the house to get to Bella's car, who was the only one capable of holding the three of them comfortably.

.

The drive was pretty long and they used the time to talk and get to know each other better. Elijah was getting more at ease with his brother and the young witch was glad their relationship wasn't permanently damaged. She had read in some of her ancestor's diaries that the Mickealson's were always united, even when they argued and she had been eager to find out if it was still true and how it could be.

After a few hours of driving, they got to the cemetery and after a quick spell Bella led them to the right location. They entered the tomb and found Mickeal chained and frozen in a stone coffin.

"What a joyful sight this is." Klaus chuckled.

"We can leave him like this or I can destroy him." Bella offered.

"If we leave him here, someone might find him some day and free him." Elijah shook her head.

Mickeal had his eyes opened and was looking at them. It was really creepy.

"Okay then. Do you want a minute with him or should I destroy him right away?" Bella asked them both.

"Do it, I have nothing to say to that poor excuse of a man. His last sight will be of me, alive and standing before him, that's enough for me." Klaus replied in a cold voice.

"Neither do I." Elijah added.

"Okay then. Let's see… _Mickeal die, your days are over, Mickeal stay gone, always and forever. In this time and in this hour, I call upon the ancient power and ask you to destroy this unfair father, kill him now and make him suffer_."

When Bella was done with the spell, they all watched Mickeal's eyes widened with horror as he slowly burned. Soon, there was nothing left but a pile of ashes and big chains that were now holding nothing.

Both brothers stayed silent on the way back to Mystic Falls. Bella understood that and respected their need for quiet. Klaus broke the silence about mid-way when he called someone to have a truck delivered to Bella's address.

"It's the coffins and some of my stuffs. It will be in your house in a few hours." He explained when Bella gave him a questioning look.

Elijah was driving and nodded, happy that his brother had held his end of the bargain. Maybe there was hope for him after all. He had thought that all hope was lost when Marcel died at Mickeal's hand all these years ago but maybe all Klaus needed was someone to believe in him.

.

When they got back home, it was mid-morning of the next day and Bella left the brothers alone while she went in her bedroom to take a nap. They both left the house to go and gather their stuff and check out of their rooms before they settled in the Swan house they were just welcomed in.

The truck arrived a little after Bella woke up, refreshed from her nap.

She called Damon, Stefan and Jasper to put them up to date with what had happened and when they got here, Klaus took Stefan aside to give him his memory back.

When they both entered the room again, Stefan looked shocked. He explained the situation to Jasper and Damon, not sparing them any details. They all stayed a while to talk while they settled the coffins in different rooms.

Bella told them to put Rebekah's in her grandmother's room so she could have her own bathroom. She couldn't imagine how, being a girl, it was possible to share a bathroom with a boy, especially a brother. Of course she knew that Elena and Jeremy did it but she also knew that Elena was constantly complaining about it.

They pulled the daggers out and carried the bodies to the beds. The rooms were simple and pretty bare but Klaus had a lot of things in the truck beside the coffins and they would be able to buy more later on if they decided to stay in this house instead of getting their own.

Elijah was waiting with Kol. Klaus was with Rebekah and Bella with Finn. Sage had been called and was on her way. She would be there in a few hours at most but Bella didn't want the man to wake up after a 900 years of sleep and be all alone. Since he was the calmest of them all, she would be relatively safe with him and wouldn't have to use her powers to defend herself.

.

Stefan was in his room, thinking deeply about what he was now remembering. He loved Elena, he was pretty sure of that but he had loved Rebekah too and now that the compulsion was off, he felt it all like it had been yesterday.

"Your emotions are all over the place, mate!" Jasper told Stefan from the doorway of his bedroom.

The two of them had gotten quite close since Jasper moved in. They actually told the town he was their cousin because he was close to the two brothers, each in a different way. He hunted with Stefan, joked around with the two of them, remembered the past with Damon… He felt like he had found a family in the Salvatore and he couldn't wait to introduce them to Peter and Charlotte.

"I don't know what to do, I love Elena a lot but now that Rebekah is about to be back…" Stefan explained.

"Maybe you should go see Elena and talk to her, be honest with her and see how things turn out." Jasper suggested.

"I don't know if what I felt for Rebekah was actually love or just attraction and lust. I'm not exactly the same man anymore. Rebekah was in love with the Ripper part of me, I'm not that man anymore and she might not have any lingering feelings for me." Stefan admitted.

"You just have to wait until you see her again to know how you, and she, really feel." Jasper suggested.

"You really think I should talk to Elena right away?" Stefan asked his new friend.

"Yes, I do. Hiding this from her could only result in pain for the two of you. She needs to know." Jasper replied.

Stefan nodded and left his house to go see Elena and tell her what was going on.

.

It was morning once again and Bella was reading a book in what was now Finn's room, waiting for him to wake up or Sage to arrive, whichever came first. Suddenly she heard a gasp and the tall original sat up.

"It's okay, you're safe. You're in my house, Klaus and Elijah undaggered you. Mickeal is dead. Sage is on her way." Bella told him quickly in a soothing voice, trying to keep him calm.

"I… Can't… Breathe…" Finn managed to say.

Bella frowned before she hit her head:

"Of course! I forgot to invite you in! Finn, Kol, Rebekah, you're all invited in!" Bella declared in a loud voice.

"Where am I?" Finn asked, wondering where he was and what was going on.

"You're in Mystic Fall's. It's the name of a town on the land you used to live on as a human." Bella explained.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Isabella Swan. You can call me Bella. It's my house. I invited your family to stay as long as you respect human lives and don't hurt people in town. I'm a witch, not like your mother though: A real one." Bella explained, giving him time to get used to being awake.

"Niklaus is forcing you to host us, you're compelled." Finn decided.

"I can't be compelled and I'm powerful enough that he can't force me to do anything, I gave you all the second chance you deserve with my own free will." Bella replied softly.

"It's very generous of you." Finn thanked her.

"Do you want some blood? I've got some donated human blood downstairs or some animal blood, you can choose whatever you want." Bella offered.

"I'll take whatever you have. What year is it?" Finn asked her, relaxing a bit.

"You've been in there for over 900 years Finn. The world has changed a lot since then." She told him softly.

"Are you mated with one of my brothers?" The original asked her as she guided him down the stairs.

"No, why?" Bella hoped he wouldn't notice the blush she could feel creeping on her cheeks.

"I was just wandering why you took the risk of inviting an entire family of blood thirsty vampire in your house."

"Like I said, I believe in giving people second chances and ever since my grandmother was killed I've been feeling lonely here on my own. I'm sure the company will be good." Bella replied with a smile.

They were now in the kitchen and Bella served him some blood, giving him the choice of having it cold or heated up in the micro-wave. Soon, they were joined by Kol and Rebekah. They both thanked Bella for the hospitality and promised her to be on their best behavior. Bella told them to help themselves in the fridge and they took the next few hours to explain technology to everyone.

"It's a lot of changes but I'm sure you'll learn fast. We'll help you." Bella added while she showed them how to use the television.

"I would like to see Stefan now. You did say he was in town right?" Rebekah asked Klaus.

He nodded but looked a bit uneasy.

"There is something your brother apparently forgot to tell you Rebekah…" Bella started to say, glaring at an innocent looking Klaus.

"What's going on?" Rebekah asked, standing up now.

"Klaus apparently compelled Stefan to forget the two of you before you left. Now he just got his memory back but he is in love with someone else, he appears to have moved on." Elijah explained.

"Who is she?" Rebekah asked.

"Elena Gilbert. She's… a Petrova doppelganger. But I don't think that Stefan is very clear on his feelings right now. He remembers loving you and still feels love for Elena. He's also conscious that you fell in love with him as The Ripper, he's very different now. It's all complicated." Bella replied softly.

Rebekah then got angry and showed it, cursing and insulting the girl she didn't even know. She was jealous of Elena and used her hatred of all the other doppelgangers to fuel her fury.

"Elena is different from the other doppelgangers from that family, she's nice and doesn't play with people's feelings. She cares about other people and would gladly sacrifice herself for them if she was sure it would ensure their safety." Bella explained, trying to calm Rebekah.

"But Stefan is mine!" The blond girl raged, tapping her foot on the floor and making her look like a little girl in the middle of a tantrum.

"Maybe you won't even like him how he is now. I mean, he's going to school, feeding on animals and doing his best to feel as many human emotions as possible. He tries to experience every human thing he can." Bella told the only female original that obviously needed company and female guidance.

"But… What about me?" Rebekah asked Bella, ignoring the presence of her brothers who slowly walked away.

"Well, maybe it's time for you to find out who you are when you're on your own. Be yourself, make friends and if you're meant to be with Stefan he will come back to you, if he's not, then life will guide you to the perfect person for you. I know that it doesn't seem very fair but I can promise you that, if in the end you're alone and sad, I'll use magic to locate someone good for you." Bella promised.

"You're right. Thanks." Rebekah nodded gratefully.

.

After a few more hours, Klaus took his siblings out for dinner in town. He had eagerly invited Bella to join them for this night of fun but she politely declined, saying they needed to be on their own as a family for a while and that she had things to do as well. She gave them her extra set of keys for the house and saw them off. As soon as they were gone, she called Bonnie and asked her to come over right away. It was time she got her powers back: you never know when trouble would come, especially when you had a family of thousand year old Original living in your town. They were bound to have enemies somewhere that would try to come after them and the more people able to defend the town, the better it would be.

When Bonnie arrived, Bella guided her upstairs and, after explaining who her new house guests were, she told her she was giving her back her powers. They could come in handy soon if Alice and Katherine were to come looking for trouble again.

Bella asked Bonnie to stand in a circle of 5 purple candles and recited:

" _Power of the witches rise, course unseen across the sky. Come to me who call you near, come to Bonnie and settle here._ "

As soon as it was said, Bonnie felt her powers coming back.

"Thank you Bella." She said gratefully.

Then they spend a few minutes talking. Bonnie explained how she had lunch with Damon and how she was meeting him in about 30 minutes for a movie he didn't want to see alone. Bella showed the other witch she was happy for her and let her go to her movie, hoping that Bonnie would be able to bring Damon some happiness and closure he needed but refused to admit her did.

Bella was eating a plate of pasta when someone rang the doorbell later. She went to answer and found herself face to face with a tall red haired woman.

"Hello. My name is Sage. I've been told Finn was here." The woman spoke in a strong voice.

"Hello, I'm Bella. It's nice to meet you. Please come on in. Finn is out for dinner with his siblings. I don't know when they'll be back though." Bella replied as she guided Sage to the kitchen. She added:

"Can I offer you something to eat or to drink?"

"Thank you but if you know where they went to eat, I'll just join Finn now." Sage replied, eager to finally see her love once more.

"Of course. Do you want to settle your bags in your room first?"

"Sure, thank you." Sage replied.

She was wondering why this human was being so nice with them but let it go for now. She went out to get her bag from her car and Bella showed her to Finn's room on the first floor.

"The third floor is off limits but you are welcome to anything else." Bella told her as she opened the door of the room for the woman.

When they got back downstairs, Bella informed her:

"I think they went to the Mystic Grill. Do you know where it is?"

"Yes, I will be able to find them. Thank you for your help."

"No problem."

Bella went back to her dinner and to working on Bianca's journal in her silent home.

.

Sage was anxious to finally see her Love again and she rushed her car to the Grill as fast as she could. When she arrived, she spotted the freshly reunited family immediately in the back, eating, drinking and laughing. As soon as she entered the Grill, Finn sensed her presence and looked at her, standing up and waiting for her to reach them.

"Sage!"

While Finn said her name like it was lifting the pain he was feeling, the others said it in greeting. Finn and Sage hugged and kissed before they were reminded they were in a public place and had to pull apart.

The Mickealson's evening was full of laughter and joy. They made a point not to bring up subjects that could hurt them or start an argument, leaving the explanations and arguing they needed to have for another time.

They stayed a while longer in the Grill before they decided it was time to go back home and get some rest. They only left a few minutes before the Grill left.

"Maybe we should go somewhere else tonight, I wouldn't want to make too much noise in Bella's house. She seems like a nice young woman, I would hate to put her out." Sage suggested.

"She _IS_ nice." Klaus and Elijah replied in one hard voice, glaring at each other while everyone else smiled.

"Don't worry Sage, earlier Bella told me that a silence spell has been cast on every bedroom in this house for the past century. Nobody will hear what happens inside." Rebekah explained.

"I wonder how she can still be single. She seems like the perfect mate." Sage wondered, noticing how Klaus and Elijah were eyeing each other.

"Well, I'm going to try my chance with her." Kol announced, getting glares from Klaus and Elijah.

"Don't you even think about hurting her, Kol. Not only she is powerful enough to end you with one little spell but she is well loved and protected around town." Klaus told his brother in a threatening tone.

"I will personally kill whoever hurts her, no matter who he is." Elijah growled.

"Well… Looks to me like Bella will have her choice of suitors." Rebekah stated with a smile before they all went into the different cars to drive back home.

.

When they got home, Bella was in the living room talking on the phone with her father. She greeted them silently and as Finn and Sage ran upstairs, the others sat around her, wanting to spend some time with the young woman before the day really ended. She hung up and smiled at them.

The next few hours were full of the three brothers openly flirting with Bella while Rebekah was happy to have finally found a friend in her. She knew that Bella would be a great friend, maybe even a sister to her some day.

.

In Seattle, Alice hung up her phone.

"Rose said that Edward will be ready to join us soon." Alice announced with a smile.

"Great, it's good to know that she can at least do one thing right. So, what do we do until then?" Katherine asked with a smirk.

"Well, we're two hot women. We're thirsty and bored… Let's go have some fun!" Alice suggested as her friend squealed and they both rushed to go changed into very expensive dresses they had stolen a few days ago before going clubbing.

.

Back in Mystic Fall's, Stefan was done explaining the situation to Elena and even though he reassured her about his feelings, she still doubted. Would he break up with her to be with Rebekah? After all, she made it clear she wanted to remain human, would Stefan prefer going for someone who would live longer than her?

"You want to break up." Elena guessed.

"No, not really." He shook his head.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know what I want. I still love you as much as I did yesterday but the feelings that Klaus compelled away in the 20's are back and now it feels to me like I'm in love with two women. Only I'm not the same man as I was when I fell in love with Rebekah, so I don't know if I'll still love her when we meet." Stefan tried to explain to his upset girlfriend.

"So I'm just supposed to accept that there's this person between us for the next few days until your heart makes up his mind?" Elena asked him, her voice reaching a higher note.

"I'm sorry Elena, I just don't know what to do." Stefan whispered.

"Then maybe we need a break. Maybe you need to be away from ma until you can make up your mind." Elena suggested.

"I don't want that."

"You can't have us both, you can't have it both ways." Elena shook her head.

"I'll try to see her tomorrow, everything will be clearer then." Stefan promised Elena who simply nodded and turned her back on him, letting him know that he was done here and that he could leave.

* * *

 **I hope you liked it.**

 **Review please.**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	11. Chapter 11

_Chapter 11 :_

It had been a couple of days since the Original family had been reunited and lived in Bella's large house. They now all had new looks, new clothes and new IDs (Thanks to Elijah and his numerous and very useful contacts). Rebekah and Kol were registered in school to finish the year with Bella and things were almost perfect.

Rebekah was still yearning for Stefan and very anxious to finally have a serious conversation with him. She was relieved when Bella suggested they had a small party to introduce them to her friends aware of the supernatural. Stefan wouldn't be able to escape her there, he'd have to talk to her, to face her.

Beside the Salvatore and Jasper, Bonnie, Caroline, Tyler, Elena, Jeremy, Anna, Alaric and Jenna were invited. It would be a lot of people so Bella asked Elijah and Klaus to get some tables out of her basement and into her garden so she could seat everyone. Kol rushed to get the chairs before she even had to ask, wanting her to have a good opinion of him.

"My brothers are transformed in your presence Isabella." Finn commented, amused by his brother's behaviors.

"I don't know why they keep acting so foolishly." Bella replied.

"They like you. They are attracted to you and want your attention." Sage explained.

"All three of them? No way. Why would they?" Bella asked.

She didn't see why they wanted her attention so much. She didn't see anything so special about herself, she was rather normal but it did feel good to know that Klaus, and the others of course, could want her.

"Yes, all three of them, because you're smart, powerful, funny and charming." Finn replied.

"Careful Finn, I'm standing right here you know, I might get jealous." Sage warned her love with a small smile.

"Don't worry Sage you know that you're the only one for me." Finn reassured her before he kissed her neck softly.

"Well, while the two of you supervise them here I will go back to the kitchen and prepare some more food for tonight." Bella declared, willing to move the subject away from who is interested in her and who's not.

While she was in her kitchen working on some pie, Kol came in:

"Bella, I was hoping to catch you alone." He told her with a flirty smile she had already learned to recognize in the short time she knew him.

"What's going on, Kol?" Bella asked him as she buttered a plate.

"Nothing, I just wanted to make sure you knew just how much I appreciate the sacrifices you make to welcome us into your home."

"Don't worry, I didn't have to sacrifice anything." Bella replied with a smile.

"You're so modest, and pretty. If there is ever anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate and come to me." Kol assured her before he winked at her and left the room.

Bella sighted. This was just what she needed, another vampire who wanted to date her. She was grateful that Damon had stopped asking her out. Maybe Bonnie spending time with him had something to do with it. if that was the case, she was glad.

A few minutes later, as she put the pie in the oven, Klaus entered the kitchen.

"How are you doing Bella? Do you need any help?" He asked her.

"Not really, no. I'm almost done here but thanks anyway." She replied.

"Okay then. You know, I'm really grateful for everything you're doing for my family and for me. I'm aware that without you we wouldn't be so happy together, you work miracles." He told her, looking her in the eyes.

Bella blushed. Somehow, his words touched her more than Kol's had.

"It was nothing really, I'm happy to help and your family is good company." Bella replied softly and truthfully.

She enjoyed the time spent in Klaus' company. He knew how to make her laugh.

"Thank you for everything, really." Klaus insisted before he kissed Bella's cheek and left the room, knowing he made her blush once more.

Bella couldn't help but love the way she felt when Klaus was near her. She felt safer, happier, freer.

When Klaus left the room Bella turned to the sink to do the dishes. She was almost done when Elijah came in the room.

She rolled her eyes before turning his way to see what he wanted. She had a feeling it was for the same reasons his brothers did. Like Finn and Sage had said, they were looking for her attention and affection.

"Do you need any help Bella?" He asked her when he saw her turning her head his way.

"I'm almost done with the dishes." She smiled.

"I just wanted to tell you how grateful I was for everything you've done for my family and I." He told her.

"It's nothing really. I'm happy to help." She repeated, hopefully for the last time of the day.

"You know that shall you need anything, you can come to me, right?" He asked her.

"Yes, of course I do and I thank you for that. You're a dear friend." She replied, setting with the 'friend' word, some sort of barrier between them.

"I hope my family being here doesn't inconvenience you. We could always move you know, there are some houses for sell in town." He told her.

Elijah was staying in place, having understood that she was only interested in being his friend for now. He wasn't blind either, he could see that she had made some sort of connection with Klaus and he couldn't stand in their way. His brother deserved love in his life just as much as anyone else.

"Don't worry about it, I like the company." Bella replied.

"Kol and Klaus are interested in you… I… I hope it's not going to end with a fight." Elijah told Bella honestly.

"Don't worry, it won't. Kol isn't really interested in me, he's only looking for company and fun, once he's realized that I'm not the one for that, he'll move on to someone else, maybe Caroline, I think she'd be good for him." Bella replied in a low voice, just as honestly.

"What about Klaus? Do you like him that way?" Elijah asked her, still serious.

"Elijah, I just got out of a relationship with Damon and the boyfriend I had before that broke me so much I couldn't do anything for days. I'm not going to date anyone anytime soon. I need time to concentrate on myself for now." Bella explained to him.

"Good idea. How much time, you think?" He asked.

"I don't know Elijah. Enough time so I can figure out who I am by myself, why?" she asked him, already knowing deep down that he was asking for his brother.

"Maybe I want to look out for my brother." Elijah replied.

"That's nice of you, but I think Klaus is capable of asking me out on his own when he's ready." Bella chuckled, forgetting to lower her voice.

"You're right, but sometimes he needs guidance and I'm here to provide it for him." Elijah replied.

"Because you're my friend?" Bella asked him with a smile.

"Yes, because in the short time since we met, you managed to become my best friend." Elijah replied before he left the room to help Rebekah who was calling him.

As soon as Elijah was out of the room, Klaus came back with his usual charming smile and told Bella:

"Whenever you're ready, I would love to take you out on a date. Take your time to be ready, I'm a very patient man." He told her before he kissed her cheek once more and left in a blur.

.

A few hours later, everyone was there and had been introduced to the family of originals.

Stefan had come a bit earlier than everyone else to have the opportunity to speak with Rebekah while there wasn't too many ears to listen to their conversation. It had been an awkward experience for the two of them. At first sight, they were reminded of the love and passion they once felt for each other but as soon as they started to talk, it became obvious that this love belonged in their past. Stefan had changed and even Rebekah wasn't really the same anymore. They were both different and at different places in their lives.

Of course they agreed to try and become friends but Rebekah promised to stay away from him for a while, long enough for Elena to feel reassured about Stefan's love for her and the fact that he was completely hers and that she had nothing to worry about.

Stefan also used this occasion to speak with Klaus a bit more. He remembered how close they used to be and he wanted that again, even if Klaus had his family back, even if Stefan had his brother and Jasper. He wanted them to be friends, he wanted to see if this tamed version of Klaus and his animal diet self could be friends like the ripper and the wild Klaus had been.

Stefan wasn't mad at Klaus for taking his memories away, now that he knew why it had been done, he understood. He probably would have done the same thing. It had been done not only to protect Rebekah and Klaus but also to protect him. He wouldn't have been able to hold his own against Mickeal, Klaus had saved his life when he compelled his memories away.

Later, once everyone arrived, Stefan still went to introduce Rebekah to Elena. It had been tensed and awkward at first but Rebekah made sure to let Elena know that she would play nice and that Stefan and her were in the past. Though Elena would need to have a private conversation with Stefan later, she felt reassured and agreed not to be hostile toward the Original Vampire as long as Rebekah was polite to her too.

Bella had been tensed too during this little meeting so she had asked Jasper to stay close to them, just in case he was needed to calm one of them. The young witch was pretty happy with the way her evening turned out though, everyone was making an effort to get along and it was a very peaceful evening.

She spotted Damon talking with Sage and Finn and remembered that Sage had mentored Damon once upon a time. The surprised came when she realized that Damon had come with Bonnie and that the young witch was sticking by his side, happy to be in his presence.

"Rebekah, let me introduce you to Jasper, a good friend of mine. I'm sure the two of you will get along well." Bella told the blond before leaving them alone to get to know each other.

"Hello, I'm Jasper Whitlock. Enchanting to meet you." He greeted her as he kissed her hand in a very gentlemanly way.

"I'm Rebekah." She replied, shaking the strong man's hand before adding: "You're a cold one right?"

"Yes, I am." Jasper replied.

"And your eyes are gold… Why is that?" Her tone showed true curiosity and Jasper smiled.

"Because I don't feed on humans, I feed on animal blood." He answered with a smile.

He liked the girl and he could feel self doubt and insecurity coming from her. He wanted to help her. He didn't know why but he felt she needed him, not anyone else. He decided that someone as gorgeous as she was should have better self confidence.

"Why? It's much easier to drink on humans, isn't it?" She asked.

She couldn't help but want to speak with him some more. She felt good with him. He made her feel at ease, safe and pretty.

"Well, I used to feed on human during my war days but I'm an Empath and after a while I fell into a depression. When I met Carlisle, he introduced me to a new way of feeding. It's more fun and just as good. Of course I'm not as strong as I could be if I fed on human blood but I'm strong enough to protect the people I love and the animal blood helps me remember my human emotions, it prevents me from turning into a monster like so many other Cold Ones." Jasper explained as they walked outside toward the table.

"You were in the war?" Rebekah asked with interest.

"Yes, first in the confederate army and after that in the Newborn southern wars." He replied.

She was truly interested in his story and his part in history and he was more than willing to share it with her.

"I'm sure that what you lack in strength you can balance with your experience." She guessed.

"Exactly." He nodded.

They had now reached the table and Jasper puller a chair out for her.

"You won't be able to eat right now will you?" She asked him.

"Usually I can't but Bella found a potion that I can drink before a meal. This way I don't have to choke things back up later and I can actually enjoy the taste." The blond Cold One explained to her.

"That's nice of her."

"It's just who she is, Bell wants what's best for the people she likes. She'll do anything for the people she loves."

"And she loves you."

"We're friends, I see her like a little sister I want to protect. Right now I'm trying to resist pulling her away from your brothers." Jasper finished with a half frown.

"Kol will give up soon. He is just attracted to Bella physically because he's bored, he'll find someone more accessible and give up on her." Rebekah replied with a smile as Jasper took the seat next to her.

They could both see Bella at the end of the table with Elijah and Klaus around her.

"What about Elijah and Klaus?" Jasper asked.

"I'm not sure, I think they both like her as a friend and see that she could be more. She's the perfect girl for them, at least I can see her happy with any of them but I know Elijah will stand back. He'll be happy just being her friend and he can see how much Klaus feels for her already, he doesn't want to take that from him again." Rebekah explained.

"Do you think they could fight each other for her?" He asked her.

"No. They did that for Tatia and learned a lesson. Anyway, Elijah just sees her as a very good friend now, nothing more. Can't you tell their intentions from their feelings?" Rebekah asked him.

"Reading your family isn't as easy as everyone else but you're right. Elijah loves Bella like a best friend, a confident he can trust but Klaus… It might not be love yet but it's well on the way to become it. He's trying to resist because he's afraid, probably of getting hurt, but he knows she'd never hurt him so he's having a hard time resisting." Jasper explained.

While they talked some more, Bella was having a great time listening to Elijah and Klaus' story. She knew that Elijah was only staying with Klaus and her because she wasn't ready to be on her own with the original hybrid yet and she was thankful for it. Seeing on the corner of her eyes that Sage was alone while Finn talked with Alaric, Bella decided to jump in and bring Sage into their own conversation.

"So Sage, I'm sure you're happy to be finally reunited with Finn." Bella stated.

"Of course, I've been waiting a long time to be reunited with my Love again." She replied softly.

"It's so sweet. Like a fairy tale come true." Bella smiled fondly.

"Which Fairy tale?" Finn asked curiously.

"Sleeping beauty." Bella answered with a small blush while the whole table exploded with laughter.

"I'm guessing Finn is the sleeping beauty?" Kol laughed, loving this new opportunity to mock his big brother.

"Yes, and Sage is totally the right girl to play the knight in shining armor." Damon added.

He had been talking with Kol for the past few minutes and liked him already. They were really alike and he couldn't wait to introduce him to Enzo later.

"I don't mean to upset you, I was just stating a fact. Your story is the kind of story we expect to see in a fairy tale." Bella explained to the couple.

"Don't worry, I'm fine with it." Finn replied softly.

When she saw that Stefan and Damon were laughing, she decided to play with them a little.

"Oh, you can laugh Damon but you're very similar to a fictional character too." Bella commented with mischief shining in her eyes.

"Who?" Damon asked in a doubtful tone.

"You and your brother are like the characters of _How I Met Your Mother_. While Stefan is like Ted Mosby, you are exactly like Barney Stinson, minus the suits." Bella told him, enjoying his offended look.

"I am not!" Damon replied while Stefan nodded his head and said "Fair enough".

"Yes you are! You keep trying to have sex with anyone you meet, you tell them lies to get them in your bed: You're exactly like Barney!" Elena exclaimed, siding with Bella and ignoring Bonnie, who hadn't confided her feelings in her yet.

Bonnie looked down after hearing this and Bella changed the subject. She really wanted Bonnie and Damon to have a shot at being happy together, at least for a while. She changed the subject to Stefan's slow adaptation to human blood and Bonnie looked happier.

After some time, Elijah started a conversation with Jenna and Alaric and got along quite well with the human couple. Alaric being an historian loved the stories Elijah could tell him and Bella saw a pretty friendship starting between them.

When Bella went in the kitchen to get the pies that were done, Jasper left Rebekah to help her. The blond original stood up and went to see Sage to try and bond with the woman who could be her sister. On the way, Rebekah walked pass Elena and Caroline talking about homework and, as she nodded with a smile their way, her eyes zeroed on Elena's neck and the jewelry that was hanging on it:

"Where did you get that? It's mine!" Rebekah exclaimed, pulling the necklace away from Elena.

Everyone turned their way, wondering what was going on this time. Bella and Jasper were back from the kitchen, laughing and stopped dead in their tracks.

"What? Stefan gave it to me!" Elena justified, refusing to let anyone think of her as a thief.

"Right, I forgot! I found it the night Rebekah and Klaus left me in Chicago right before a man asked me if I'd seen them. I only now remember it was yours." He finished, looking at Rebekah.

"Well, it's very important to me and I want it back." Rebekah declared closing her hand around the necklace, refusing to let it go.

Bella and Jasper were at the table now and they put the pies down. Apparently, Elena understood and didn't try to fight for the necklace she loved. If it was so important to Rebekah, she'd let her have it.

"It's a pretty necklace." Bella said as she walked closer, ready to intervene if needed.

"Yes it is. It was my mother's." Rebekah replied, opening her hand to look at the jewelry.

"May I see it?" Bella asked her.

The bond nodded and Bella took the necklace in her hand. She felt a surge of power surround her and gasped. Everyone reacted at the same time.

"What is it?" Damon asked.

"Are you okay?" Klaus asked.

"Are you hurt?" Elijah asked.

"What's happening?" Kol asked.

"Why the shock?" Jasper asked.

"What's wrong with the thing?" Tyler asked.

"Rebekah, this necklace holds very powerful and very dangerous magic. Who gave it to you?" Bella asked the blond, ignoring everyone else.

"Ayana gave it to me after mother died. She said never to part with it. Why?" Rebekah was confused now.

"I'm not sure but I think this necklace is some sort of portal. It gives your mother access to our world, allowing her to possess the carrier, inhabit its body if you will, whenever she wants to."

Everyone stayed silent.

"Is that why I got possessed by that dark thing a while back?" Elena asked in a little voice as Stefan came closer to hug her.

"It's very possible." Bella replied before she added:

"Esther wasn't the one possessing you but it's possible she used the necklace as a portal to send someone else to possess you, I'm surprised it happened so few times. She was probably hoping the spirit would cause your death, which would unable Klaus from Breaking the curse."

"What do I do with it then?" Rebekah asked as they all watched the necklace like it was the devil itself.

She was holding it with the tip of her fingers, eager to get rid of it and with it, her mother's horrible influence.

"We could leave it upstairs until tomorrow. Then I'll do a spell to ask to speak with Esther and try to reason with her, find more about this." Bella suggested.

Rebekah nodded and Bella used her magic to fly the necklace up to her magic room. While Bella went to have a piece of pie and talk with Caroline, Rebekah went back to Jasper, whose company she was actually enjoying.

Finn watched the necklace fly upstairs and was torn. Should he defend his mother and her plan to bring them all back in witch's bodies after killing them or not? He did enjoy the family life they all had right now and he knew that his mother wouldn't hesitate to kill Sage, whom she had never liked. His mother would ruin their present happiness and peace for her own gain and, when he thought about it, was she really a victim in her war against Dahlia?

As he decided to leave his mother alone and to ignore her, another question struck Finn: What about Dahlia?

"Something wrong Finn?" Sage asked him.

"It'll be fine." He shook his head, deciding to ignore it all.

If the opportunity came for him to be alone with Bella, then he would tell her everything he knew about their aunt and the potential danger she represents but until then, he'd keep on enjoying these happy and peaceful days. There was no hurry, no need for him to worry everyone with this story.

.

At some point during the night, Stefan put some music and couples started forming to dance around the garden. Alaric was dancing with Jenna, Jeremy with Anna, Stefan with Elena, Damon with Bonnie, Jasper invited Rebekah to dance and she accepted. Bella was now sitting, watching the couples dancing and was quite happy with it until she realized that the only ones left were Caroline and her with Kol, Elijah and Klaus.

Kol stood and face her:

"May I have this dance fair Bella?" he was charming but Bella replied:

"Oh Kol, you obviously haven't been around long enough to know that dancing is a very bad idea for me. With my terrible balance I'd end up killing half the people here in just a few seconds."

"You're sure?" He asked.

"Yes, I'm sure." She replied softly.

"Okay then. Sweet Caroline, would you be up for a dance or are you, too, afraid to fall?" Kol asked.

"I'm not afraid to fall, I'd be happy to dance with you." Caroline replied and followed the youngest original brother to the improvised dance floor.

All of a sudden, Bella found herself alone sitting between Elijah and Klaus. They were keeping her entertained by keeping the conversation flowing but she could feel that Klaus was dying to ask her for a dance. She really was grateful for that fact that he understood her and let her have her space.

Bella decided to concentrate on the fireflies that were dancing around the couples. It was very romantic, as if nature itself wanted to make their evening even better.

"I'll start to clear the table." Bella announced quietly, standing up.

"I'll help." Klaus replied while Elijah danced with Liz Forbes.

"You don't have to, I can do it." She quickly told him.

"I want to." He insisted, grabbing a large pile of empty plates from her hands with one of his charming and irresistible smiles.

"Thanks." She blushed and hurried to grab something else.

"Everything won't fit in the dishwasher." Klaus warned her.

"I know, we'll run it tonight and tomorrow morning." She replied.

"Or I can wash the dishes if you want." He offered.

"You?" Bella chuckled.

"What?" He asked her, smiling as well.

"Don't take it the wrong way but I have a hard time picturing you, the feared hybrid vampire, washing the dishes." Bella replied, still laughing.

"What a nice sound your laugh is." Klaus whispered, making Bella blush some more.

"I… Don't worry about the dishes, we can run the dishwasher tomorrow." Bella added before she went back outside to grab some more dirty dish.

"So, are you going to stand in the way of Jasper and Rebekah's potential happiness?" Bella asked Klaus later, when they were once more alone in the Kitchen.

"I don't know this Jasper very well. Would you let him date your sister?" He asked her.

"I would. He's a good man." She replied.

"Then I'll take a page out of your book and I won't stand in their way." Klaus decided, making Bella smile.

.

The next day was a school day, the first one for Rebekah and Kol. Wanting to spend more time with Rebekah, Jasper had also enrolled and was now a senior along with Bella and Kol. Rebekah was a junior with most of the others while Jeremy and Anna were sophomores.

At lunch Bella, Rebekah, Caroline, Anna, Bonnie and Elena were eating together while the boys were somewhere else playing a ball game.

"So Bella, do you know what you're going to do with all your suitors?" Rebekah asked with a small smile.

"It's not funny Rebekah and they aren't that many." Bella replied with a kind smile.

"I think it's quite funny. Your love life looks like a supernatural episode of the Bachelor." Caroline joked, making them all laugh, even Bella.

"Who is on the list?" Bonnie asked.

"There is no list." Bella replied.

"Who wants a shot at dating you then?" Anna asked.

"Well, Damon seems to have calmed down in that area and maybe he'll leave me alone now that… Well, I think he's done with me and has moved on." Bella replied looking at Bonnie who blushed slightly.

"Yes, he's been spending a lot of time with Bonnie lately." Elena agreed.

"So who's left then?" Caroline asked.

"Tyler hinted that he was still interested yesterday and this morning but I know he doesn't have feelings for me, he just wants to have fun and he is not really my type." The young witch explained.

"And then you have my brothers." Rebekah started.

"Which ones?" Caroline asked with interest.

"Kol, Klaus and Elijah have showed great interest in our Bella." The original girl replied with a smile while Bella blushed.

"Are they all serious about Bella or do they just want to have fun?" Elena asked curiously.

"For Kol it's just lust, he'll probably move on soon if he hasn't already." Rebekah replied, serious now.

"Yeah, he asked me if I'd want to have dinner with him tonight, this morning. I told him I wasn't ready to date yet and he said it was okay. I think he has someone else in mind." Bella explained, thinking of the way he danced with Caroline.

"Well he did seem to be having fun with Caroline last night." Anna hinted as they all turned their head toward her.

"He did mention that if I felt too lonely he would welcome me in his bed. You know, vampire hormones and all that." Caroline whispered softly with a small smile.

"So that leaves Elijah and Klaus." Bonnie realized.

"Yes, but Elijah is only a friend, a very good friend, but just a friend. He agrees that we're only friends." Bella explained.

"That leaves Niklaus." Rebekah stated.

"Yes, and he knows that I'm not ready to date anyone yet. He's agreed to give me the time I need." Bella replied.

"What if he finds someone else in the mean time?" Elena asked Bella.

"Then he wasn't serious about me and it wasn't meant to be." Bella replied, shrugging her shoulders.

"I wouldn't count on it. I know my brother and have seen him with women over the years. I can guaranty you that he's very serious and won't go after anyone else until you clearly tell him that you don't want him. He kind of has a one track mind when it comes to things like that." Rebekah told Bella.

"Why don't we stop talking about my lack of love life and concentrate on someone else's existent one?" Bella suggested, looking at Elena who in turn tried to bring the attention to Bonnie and Damon.

.

Rosalie had been sick for the past two days and she knew what it meant. She went immediately to Carlisle who confirmed her diagnosis: she was pregnant!

Jumping with joy, she rushed to find Emmett and tell him the good news.

Everyone was happy for them but Rosalie couldn't help but think that Rose's joy was faked. Why was she texting? Who was she texting? Edward stayed by Rose's side and it looked like he was in on the secret, something she didn't like at all.

Later, Rosalie stepped outside with Emmett and called Bella:

"Hey Bella, how is it going?" The blond asked.

"Rosalie! I'm fine. What about you?"

"I'm pregnant!" The joy radiated in Rosalie's voice behind the worry and Bella smiled.

"Congratulations! But you sound worried, what's wrong?"

"I just feel something is off with Rose and Edward, I don't know why."

"Trusting your instincts is often a good thing, especially when you have magic powers." Bella replied.

"I'm afraid of staying in the same house. I know that it's silly but still." Rosalie sounded worried.

"I know you couldn't stay in the reservation because you'll need to drink blood during the pregnancy but I'm sure Charlie would love the company. He knows you share our blood now and I told him if things didn't go well at the Cullen's you could come over. He doesn't mind." Bella informed her.

"Really?" Rosalie asked with hope in her voice.

"Yes, really. Or you could come here. I have company but I still have a room for you if you want." Bella replied.

"I think I'll stay a little while longer in Forks to see if I can find out what's wrong with Rose and Edward and then I'll come to you." Rosalie decided.

"Also it would be better if Carlisle was with you for the delivery." Bella warned.

"Okay, I'll see how to deal with this then, I'll call you back in a couple of days." Rosalie told Bella before hanging up and going back in Emmett's arms.

"I'm sure it's a girl. I can feel it." Rosalie announced him.

"I thought you wanted a boy?" He asked her tenderly.

"I don't really mind, but I know it's a girl." She assured him.

"Well, boy or girl I'll love it and take care of it forever." Emmett whispered tenderly in her ear.

"Let's go and see Charlie before I get too sick to be able to be moved." Rosalie told him.

They went to see the man and he was happy for them. Just like Bella told her, the man invited them to stay with him for a while. Rosalie accepted, reminding him she would be drinking blood for the baby. Charlie didn't mind of course, as long as it wasn't his and that nobody got hurt. Emmett told him they would make her drink a mix of donated blood and animal blood and it was enough to calm what little worries that he had.

.

Kol was a little disappointed when Bella told him that she wasn't interested by him but he understood. He was offering her a few night of fun, not real love and she was the kind of girl who wanted love, hearts and flowers. His brother was a better choice, he actually had feelings for Bella that were much stronger than friendship.

However, he still had needs and he needed to take care of them so he decided to invite Caroline Forbes out that night.

The girl agreed and he smiled. He knew _she_ would be fun. Just like him she was desperately looking for someone to take care of her needs.

.

Bella was just going home after hanging out with Elena and Bonnie when Damon came to see her. Nobody else was home, they were all out taking care of their own businesses and she had been hoping for some alone and quiet time.

"Damon. Something's wrong?" she asked him.

"Can't I come and see you when everything is fine? I thought we were still friends." He smiled at her.

"We are. You just look like you really want to say something and it worries me." Bella explained.

"Actually I do have something to talk to you about." Damon admitted with a small smile.

"I'm listening." Bella nodded as she led him to the living room to sit down.

"I was wondering if we still had a shot…" He started.

"Damon, please don't do this. I told you we were over. We had our shot and we blew it."

"You mean I blew it." Damon replied looking down guiltily.

"No Damon, I mean _WE_ blew it. Maybe if I had put more trust in you over Rose… But it's done now and we both know we wouldn't be happy together anymore."

"I know, I guess I just wanted to see if there was still hope before…" Damon stopped before he could finish his sentence.

He obviously wasn't sure if he could tell her more or not.

"Before what?" She asked him with a small smile to put him at ease.

"I'm not really sure, I think there might be something with… someone."

"Well, that's clear." Bella chuckled, showing him she was fine with it.

Of course she knew who he was talking about, at least she hoped she knew. If he had someone else in mind, someone that wasn't Bonnie, she'd have to get angry at him again and to kick his ass for giving the poor girl fast hopes.

"I've been spending some time with Bonnie lately." He told her.

"So I've been told, Bonnie really likes the time the two of you are spending together." Bella informed him.

"Really? She told you about this?" The eldest Salvatore asked her, hope in his voice.

"Of course, she told me she liked you before she even went to you." Bella confessed, knowing that Damon needed to be reassured.

"So you're okay with me and her going out as more than friends sometimes?" He asked her, looking relieved.

"Of course I am." Bella assured him with a smile.

"You know I'll always care about you, right?" Damon asked her before he walked out the front door to go back home.

"Just like I'll always care about you. We're friends Damon. Always will be." Bella assured him before he kissed her forehead and left the house.

Bella sighted and went back inside. Since it was still pretty outside, she took her literature homework on the porch and went to work outside, under the sun.

.

She was putting the finishing touches to her essay when she got a phone call. The ID showed it was from Carlisle.

"Carlisle? What's going on?" Bella asked.

"We've got a problem Bella. Rose and Edward left. Rosalie did a small spell and found out they went to join Alice." Carlisle informed her in a depressed voice.

This treason from his first turned must hit him hard. She knew that Edward had only been his son, he'd also been his best friend and his first companion.

"Did they say anything? Take anything?" Bella asked him.

"Not much, just some money and cloths. They left a little after Rosalie announced that she was pregnant. They said they were going hunting and didn't come back. They just sent us a text."

"It's not your fault Carlisle, Alice was preparing this from the beginning. You're not responsible for this." Bella reassured the man.

"I know but I still feel bad." he replied.

"Well, there's not much we can do now." Bella said.

"Emmett says that Rosalie would feel better near you now, Safer." Carlisle hinted.

"Of course. Together we would be even stronger and she would be safe in my house. I told her she was welcome to stay." Bella replied.

"Esmee and I wanted to follow them."

"Of course you do, it's natural. You want to protect what's left of your family. I'm sure I can find you a room in my house, even if we're pretty full now." Bella started but was interrupted.

"Don't worry about this Bella, Jasper told us that Stefan and Damon invited us to stay in their house." Carlisle replied, a smile in his voice.

"I'm sure they would love the company." Bella replied softly.

"We should be there in the next few days. We'll call you later with the latest update." Carlisle assured her before they said their goodbyes and hung up.

.

When everyone got home later in the evening, Bella told them the latest news she had received during the day.

"Rose and Edward left the Cullen's and joined Alice and Katherine." She told them.

"Yeah, Jasper told me, he got a call from Esmee while Carlisle was calling you. They're really worried." Rebekah added.

"It's like they decided to form a bitch club or something." Kol groaned before he added "They're such a buzz kill!"

"Do we know what their plan is?" Sage asked.

"Well, Rose hates me because I got Damon when she wanted him. She probably wants me dead and when she find out he has his eyes set on Bonnie she'll want to kill her too. Katherine wants Elena dead because she got Stefan. Edward still wants me too I think. Since Rose got close to him she probably hates me even more for it. Edward will probably want dead any man that is or was close to me like Damon, Elijah and Klaus." Bella guessed.

"He might decide to try to kill anyone that has a crush on you." Elijah muttered, concerned for Bella.

"Well, that's quite a list." Rebekah chuckled.

"What about Alice. What does she want?" Finn asked.

"I'm not sure what she really wants but I'm guessing power and influence. She was going to use me as her slave-pet apparently, I'm sure she'd like me dead too now that I've spoiled her plan. You know, she's probably in the whole 'If I can't have her, then no one can.' thing." Bella informed them.

"That's a lot of people we need to watch over and a lot of people who wants to hurt you." Rebekah stated with concern for her new friend.

"Well anyway, Carlisle and Esmee are coming back with Rosalie and Emmett." Bella added, changing the subject.

"It's understandable. They've lost two of their children already, I can't imagine how that must feel right now." Sage commented.

"Do you need us to vacate a room?" Finn asked with concern.

"No, don't worry about this. Rosalie and Emmett already have a room reserved on my floor and Carlisle and Esmee have been invited to stay with the Salvatore's." Bella informed them.

"I'm sure they'll love having two parental authorities under their roof." Kol joked.

Klaus then informed them that Esther's coffin had just arrived and that he put it in the basement until they found out what to do with it. He had spend the whole day trying to destroy it and was quite frustrated when he realized that he couldn't do it.

They all followed Bella in her magic room. She put candles in a circle on the floor and opened the book on the page to call a spirit.

" _Hear my words, hear my cries, spirits from the other side. Come to me, I summon thee, cross now the great divide._ "

As soon as she said those words, lights appeared and Esther stood transparent in front of them. She didn't immediately see her children, her focus was on Bella who had called her.

"Who are you? How dare you summon me, do you know who I am?" Esther raged, not looking around to see her children. She was concentrated on yelling at Bella.

"My name is Bella. It would be polite of you to greet your children." Bella replied, pointing to the original vampires who were staring at the spirit of their mother.

"You despicable girl! You ruined all my plans!" Esther raged.

"Hey, watch your language when you speak with her, mother!" Klaus snapped, very angry.

"I will speak to her like I please!" Esther snapped back and turned back to Bella.

"Your plans were evil. You can't just decide to kill your children like that, it would kill all their bloodline, all the vampires of their kind. Now THAT would break the balance of nature you seem so intent to protect." Bella replied in a calm voice.

"They are monsters!" Esther yelled.

"That's because you never gave them a chance! You created them and never tried to help them acclimate to what they were, to what you made them. You blamed them immediately, Condemned them." Bella replied.

"You don't know what you're talking about foolish girl!" Esther told Bella.

"Listen, I summoned you here to see if we could make peace, if you refuse that, then I'll have to take actions." Bella warned the dead witch.

"Just try child. I won't go down without a fight!" Esther snapped before she disappeared.

"What did she mean?" Rebekah asked.

"That she would keep on trying to kill you for as long as she had a way. We need to destroy her necklace and coffin or put them were they will never be found." Bella explained to them.

"What did you have in mind?" Klaus asked her softly.

"Maybe in the lava of a volcano?" Bella suggested.

"You can do that?" Kol asked, impressed.

"Of course. With a spell strong enough I can do anything." Bella replied a bit smugly before she added "maybe add a potion to it just to be sure it works like I want it to."

"Do you need help with this?" Elijah asked her.

"It's okay, I'm going to work on it now, but you guys should stay around in case I need ingredients I don't have here." Bella replied softly as they all nodded and left her alone in the room.

She spent a few hours working on it and found all the ingredients she needed to reinforce the spell she would cast. For a couple of them, she sent Klaus to get them in the basement but all in all, she found everything easily.

She placed the necklace on top of the coffin and called everyone to come and see if they wanted.

They did. They wanted to see justice done.

"Okay, here we go then: _In this night and in this hour I call upon the higher power to help me destroy this unfit mother. Block her path to our side so her children don't ever have to hide. In the fires of hell her coffin will burn so that she can't ever return. In this night and in this hour, I call upon the higher power to help me destroy this unfit mother._ "

As she recited her spell, a bunch of dangerous looking lights danced around the big coffin. Before she recited the last verse she threw the potion and when she was done, the coffin disappeared in a bunch of flames.

"Is it done then?" Kol asked, surprised by the spectacle it had been.

"Yes, it's done." Bella nodded.

"You look tired." Klaus noted is a worried voice that showed how much he truly cared for her.

"I am. Esther had placed strong protections and I should have called upon my ancestor for help. I'm going to go get some sleep now, get some rest. Good night." She replied with a small smile, leaving the room.

The siblings all went downstairs and drank a glass of wine, each mourning the mother they had lost a long time ago. Finn was especially sad and decided to tell them what he remembered of Freya and how she was taken by their aunt. He told them the entire story, what he remembered of it and what his mother had told them.

"I think we can all agree that Mother wasn't the most honest person we knew. We can't trust her version of it." Elijah reminded them.

"Yes. We should probably tell Bella about it and see what she thinks of it." Rebekah added.

"She has enough on her mind right now. We'll tell her later, when things calm down with this Alice person." Klaus decided and nobody argued with him.

"Do you think that Freya could still be alive?" Finn asked them.

"If she is and hasn't been brainwashed by our aunt, then Bella will be able to find her." Klaus replied faithfully.

"I'm sure she'll be able to do something even if our sister has been brainwashed by our aunt." Elijah added.

* * *

 **What did you think about the fact that I added Freya in the story?**

 **Review?**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	12. Chapter 12

**_Chapter 12_**

A few days after Bella got rid of Esther's coffin and necklace, the Cullen's arrived in town. They were in two separate cars and while Rosalie and Emmett were in Emmett's Hummer (so that Rosalie could get comfortable), Carlisle and Esmee were in the Mercedes. They all went first to Bella's and after some quick greetings and introductions to the Originals, Carlisle and Esmee went to the Salvatore Boarding house to see Jasper and to settle down.

Bella installed a very pregnant looking Rosalie and Emmett in the bedroom that was right in front of hers and assured Emmett that he could go hunting, Rosalie would be safe and yes, the Originals could be trusted around a pregnant woman.

Bella spent some time with Rosalie while the Originals went on with their lives. Rosalie was amused by Klaus' behavior toward her new sister and it seemed that laughing did her some good. She was of course craving blood a lot and Bella had set up a mini fridge in her bedroom since Carlisle had advised her not to move around too much for her safety and the safety of the child she was having. This way, nobody took the blood meant for Rosalie and her child.

.

Liz Forbes was in her bathroom, staring at a calendar and at a box full of tampons.

She was late in her periods and she never was late. nothing ever made her late, not stress, not sickness, no medicine... The last time she had been late was when she was pregnant with Caroline.

Could she be…

The last time she had sex was with Charlie before he had to leave. She didn't remember using any protections, they were both too caught up in their passion to think about using any kind of protection. Wasn't she too old for that by now?

She took a big breath and sat down on the edge of the bathtub. She didn't know what to do or what to think. Should she call Charlie? What would happen then? He would worry and drop his whole life to come to the town he left so long ago, just to help her, when he never wanted to come back here for more than a few days.

No, she needed to be sure before she did anything. She would buy a pregnancy test after work that day and see if she had a real reason to worry or not. There was no need to give him either a big scare or hope without knowing anything for sure.

.

Carlisle and Esmee had just arrived at the Salvatore Boarding house and Esmee was feeling a little better. Losing Alice first and then Edward had been hard on her and had brought memories of her human life, of the time she lost her baby boy and had tried to kill herself. Of course she'd never take that fatal step now, she had Carlisle, Rosalie, Emmett and a baby on the way.

Being in this house with Stefan and Damon, both obviously in need of a proper feminine motherly presence and guidance, she felt much better. She would be able to help them. She could already feel a connection installing itself between them and smiled. Maybe they could move in this town in a more permanent manner after all since their family seemed to be getting attached to this place. She could definitely see herself have a home there.

.

Alice and Katherine were both a little frustrated. Rose had joined them but Edward had bailed soon after, claiming he was going to get _his sweet Bella_ back and would come back later with her. Rose of course was depressed because she actually came to like Edward and didn't know how to get him back.

"Oh, don't worry Rosemarie, Bella will put him back in his place. She doesn't want him anymore. He'll be back soon." Alice assured Rose in a manipulative but soothing voice.

"Are you sure? She could always change her mind, he is attractive and wealthy and has good manners." The brunette vampire asked.

"Don't worry, I know exactly what will happen. I've seen it!" Alice replied.

Rose smiled and left the room.

Alice looked at Katherine and they both smiled. ' _I've seen it_ ' was like a magic word: Every time Alice would say it, Rose would just smile and agree. It was just too easy for the Cold One to manipulate people, especially the weak minded or vulnerable ones.

"What is really going to happen with Edward?" Katherine asked her in a low voice.

"I'm not sure what Bella will say to him but I've seen him coming back with his tail between his legs… So to speak." Alice replied while her ' _sister_ ' chuckled and they went back to drinking the blood of a virgin they had killed earlier because it just tasted better than the rest.

.

"Bella, Rosalie, are you two going to be okay alone tonight?" Rebekah asked.

She was about to go out on a date with Jasper while Kol was out having fun with Caroline. Sage and Finn were catching up somewhere while Elijah and Klaus were working on their brotherly relationship around a glass of bourbon and a table of pool.

"Don't worry Rebekah, we'll be fine. We're not exactly defenseless." Bella replied with a soft smile at her friend's worry.

"You go have fun with my brother, Jasper deserves to finally find someone good that makes him happy." Rosalie replied softly while gently stroking her belly.

She wanted Rebekah to know that they were all happy for her and Jasper and that they wouldn't stand in the way of their relationship.

"How are you feeling?" Rebekah asked her.

Rosalie had been here for just a couple of days but she had already spent some time with Rebekah and the two blonds got along pretty well. Sage as well liked Rosalie and was often around to help. However, the four brothers weren't very comfortable around the pregnant blood drinking woman and decided to stay away as much as possible. It didn't stop them from making friends with Emmett and enjoy sparing with him though.

"I'm feeling fine. The baby is fast growing and it's pretty tiring but if I follow Carlisle's instructions to do nothing it works, even though I don't like it much. Thankfully Bella provided me with some interesting reading material." She answered with a smile as she pointed to the Swan ancestor's journals she had all around her to read.

"Well, they are your ancestors too now, you should get to know them." Bella smiled.

Rebekah stayed to talk for a few more minutes before a car parked in front of the house and Jasper rang the doorbell, picking her up.

The blond vampire was feeling nervous but decided to ignore it and acted like she was perfectly calm about this when she opened the door and let the gentleman kiss her hand and offer her pretty flowers before he took her arm and guided her to his car. Maybe this would work, maybe her brothers and the rest of the world will stay out of it.

"You look beautiful Rebekah." Jasper complimented her after he started his car.

"Thank you." She blushed.

"So… Where are you taking me?" She asked him shyly right after.

"It's a surprise." He replied with a smile.

"The last man who told me that ended up being a Vampire hunter planning my death." Rebekah replied softly, trying to sound humorous.

"Well, I can assure you Pretty Rebekah that your death is the very last thing on my mind for tonight. You're perfectly safe with me." He promised her with his most charming smile.

"I know, I feel safe." She replied, perfectly at ease with the Cold One.

He parked his car after a while in front of a small French restaurant called _"A la bonne fourchette"_. They weren't in Mystic Falls anymore and he had obviously put a lot of thoughts into this evening. He offered her his arm to walk inside and she gladly took it with a soft smile.

They ate and talked and had fun during the whole night and Rebekah was delighted. It had been a long time since she met someone who made her feel safe, like she could actually let go and trust him. Somehow, she knew he wasn't making her feel this way. Her feelings were real and they were all for him.

Jasper was happy too. What he felt the first time he had seen Rebekah had been strong and he knew she was the one for him. He was ready to fight for her and even die to protect her if it became necessary. He wanted to spend the rest of forever by her side, he wanted her in his arms forever.

They came home late that night. It was well past three in the morning when Jasper dropped a laughing Rebekah off.

"I had a lot of fun tonight. Thank you." Rebekah told him while they both stood in front of the door.

Of course she knew that he already knew that, he had probably felt her feelings during the entire night but she didn't feel embarrassed by that. She didn't need his powers to know that she wasn't wrong in trusting him. He was all in their new relationship, just like she was.

"It was my pleasure, I really enjoyed tonight as well." Jasper replied with a soft smile.

"I should probably get in and get some rest. School and all that." She added shyly, hoping he would kiss her already.

Couldn't he feel that she was waiting for it? That she wanted it?

"I could always come and pick you up in the morning, drive you to school…" He suggested.

"I would love that a lot." She nodded.

Slowly, Jasper bent toward the woman who haunted his thoughts ever since he met her and kissed her. At first the kiss was shy and soft but soon it became passionate and filled with lust. Jasper pulled back after a few minutes and looked at her softly.

"If we don't stop now I won't be able to stop at all, I want to do this right." He warned her with a charming smile.

"You're right." Rebekah replied in a tone that didn't hide her disappointment.

Jasper smiled and added:

"I do want to go further with you Rebekah, I like you a lot and feel a very strong attraction toward you but I want before all to do things right: Take you out a few times, have a formal meeting with your brothers, show you that I truly care." He explained while putting his hand on her arm.

She didn't stop looking in his eyes the whole time he spoke and his words went straight to her heart.

"You're one of a kind aren't you?" She asked him with a happy smile.

"So are you." He replied before he kissed her once more.

"Does this mean that when you pick me up tomorrow you'll bring me to school as your girlfriend?" She asked him softly between short kisses.

"Yes, it does."

They spent a few more minutes saying goodbye before she went inside and he went back to the Boarding House.

When Jasper entered the big house, he found Carlisle and Esmee snuggling on one of the couches while reading a book.

"How was your date?" The doctor asked him.

"Great. Really great. How did your evening go?" He asked back to the two persons he considered his parents.

"Great also, Esmee loves mothering Stefan and Damon." Carlisle chuckled.

"They've been all alone for so long and the way they died… That man didn't deserve to be a father." Esmee shook her head.

"I know sweetheart, I know." Carlisle agreed as he stroked her hair softly.

"I'm going to go up to my room and read some. You have a good night." He told them as he walked up the stairs, planning to think about Rebekah and pretend he was dreaming, that he could still dream.

.

Liz was frustrated.

A man got drunk and caused a scene at his wife's work and she had to work late again. She didn't have time to pick a pregnancy test before the store closed and had to spend another day wondering if she was pregnant or not.

She got home to find a note from her daughter saying she was out with Kol Mickealson. Well, at least _she_ was going to have a good night. Sometimes, Liz was jealous of the worry less life her daughter had, then she remembered she was a vampire and had to stay in control all the time and felt guilty for having the opportunity to be pregnant while her daughter would never have that again.

Sighting, Liz debated for another hour if she was going to call Charlie or not but decided against it. She didn't want him to feel like he _had to_ come back. She wouldn't call him until she was sure, even though, deep down, she felt it and knew that she was, indeed, pregnant.

.

Edward was back in Mystic Falls and was absolutely furious.

Bella was now living with an entire family of dangerous vampire and she dared allow herself to get close to them, even close to two of the males. Edward could tell that Elijah was only a friend to Bella, a good one but a friend none the less but this _Klaus_ was a different story. He wanted Bella and Edward could tell that Bella wanted him as well.

Didn't she remember that she was _his_? Why would she allow such people into her home and her life? That was beyond him and he knew he would have to be careful on his approach of her if he didn't want his precious member to be blown away again. It had been painful enough to put it back in place as it was.

Shaking the bad and painful memories from his head, he went back to listening to his Love's heartbeat as she slept peacefully in her bedroom, thankfully alone. Somehow he couldn't get in the house and she had closed her curtains so nobody could see the inside, even with his more than perfect eyesight, he couldn't see a thing. That also frustrated him.

.

Bella checked on Rosalie the next morning before going to school and saw that Emmett was back from hunting and massaging his wife's feet with the mixture of oils and herbs she had prepared. She smiled and wished them a good day before she headed to school, hoping to have a quiet day herself.

On the way to school, Bella couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched off and grew very uncomfortable as the day went by. At lunch, she confided in her friends and Jasper and Kol went to do a quick check around the place while Rebekah stayed by her side, looking all around them just to be sure.

"So, did you find something?" Rebekah asked her boyfriend when he came back with Kol.

"Edward's scent is all around the place, I followed it back to your house. He didn't get in though, he didn't even enter the yard." Jasper replied.

"That's because he can't get in, I spelled the house to prevent him from coming in unless I invite him willingly." Bella explained.

"Elijah and Klaus won't be happy to know that this worthless boy is sneaking around you again." Rebekah commented while Kol nodded his agreement.

"Maybe we should tell Carlisle and Esmee about it, they could try to help him see that Alice and Rose manipulated him and that he's being insane in his pursuit of you. " Elena suggested.

"I don't think it's going to work, he's too far gone into his crazy thinking now." Jasper shook his head in negation.

He had seen a lot during his war days and they knew they could trust his opinion. If he said that Edward was too far gone to be brought back to sanity, then he was right. Bella wasn't even sure if she'd ever be able to forgive him and to allow him a place in her life. She'd be happy if he disappeared forever and never crossed her way again.

"I just hope he doesn't find a way around the spell to get inside the house. Who knows what he could do to Rosalie if he took her and Emmett by surprise." Bella added, worried.

"I'll call Emmett right now and tell him what's going on." Jasper decided as he stood.

"NO!" Bella almost yelled.

Everyone looked at her questionably.

"Why?" Jasper asked her.

He could feel her panic and didn't understand it.

"Klaus and Elijah are home right now, if Emmett gets the call they will hear or he will share the news with them and they will try to play hero and might end up getting hurt. I refuse it!" Bella explained.

"She's right. My brother won't stop to think about it, they'll act immediately and impulsively." Rebekah told Jasper as Kol nodded his agreement.

"What are you going to do then?" Bonnie asked her.

"I don't know, I'll wait and see if he tries to talk to me." Bella suggested right before the bell announcing the end of lunch rang and they all went to class.

Bella was relieved that Jasper was in all her afternoon classes. This way, if something happened and Edward was somehow impervious to her personal powers, she would be safe. Also she just knew Kol and Rebekah wouldn't be very far. She had great friends and they loved her as much as she loved them. Even if Edward managed to take her by surprise, she'd be able to defend herself, she did it once already. She was safe.

.

Klaus and Elijah had talked a long time about Bella and once Klaus was completely reassured that Elijah wouldn't end up deciding at the last moment to step in and ask Bella out, he started planning on what he thought would be that best way to win her over.

"Elijah, Klaus I think something is wrong." Emmett told them as he came down to see them, leaving his wife in the company of Sage and Finn and interrupting their game of chess.

"Do you need us to get Carlisle?" Elijah asked him with worry for the pregnant woman upstairs.

Klaus's eyes immediately shot up. He knew how much Bella cared about Rosalie and if there was anything he could do to make her happy, he knew that it would make Bella happy too and win him some good points.

"No, Rosalie is fine but I swear I saw Edward running past the house a few minutes ago."

"Are you sure?" Klaus asked, standing immediately, already looking out the window.

"Not really so I did a little run. His scent is all around the perimeter." Emmett replied worried not only for Rosalie but also for Bella whom he loved like his little sister.

"How far did you check?" Klaus asked him, still looking outside.

"Not far, just the street. I didn't want to risk going too far with Rosalie here." The big Cold One replied.

"Understandable." Elijah replied.

"What do we do?" Emmett asked them.

"Klaus and I will check the town and make sure Bella gets home safely from school." Elijah decided.

Suddenly Finn joined them.

"Sage will stay here with you Emmett. I'll go and warn the Salvatore." He offered.

"Stefan and Jasper are still at school but it's a good idea to warn Carlisle, Damon and Esmee." Elijah noted before Klaus and he left the house and ran as fast as they could to reach the school before the last bell rang.

Edward's scent was all over the way Bella usually took and it was obvious he was watching her. They decided to call the sheriff to warn her and Liz sounded a little disappointed that she had to work over time. Of course it was what was best for the town so she didn't complain but both brothers wondered why she mumbled "fate is against me lately, I won't get my answer today."

They shrugged it off and decided to forget about it. Right now they needed to concentrate on Bella and her safety. If they could prevent her from learning that Edward was around, maybe she'd have a good day. They knew that she'd obsess about it if she knew he was there and that she wouldn't rest until he was stopped.

When they reached the school, the last bell was just ringing and they both rushed to wait for Bella near the doors. As soon as she walked through them, Bella looked at them and said:

"You spotted Edward didn't you?"

They both looked at her surprised.

"You know he's around?" Elijah asked her, wondering why she was so calm.

"I felt like I was being watched and followed lately so at lunch Jasper and Kol went to check around and said that even though they didn't spot him, they could smell Edward's scent all around the place." Bella explained nervously.

"Klaus is going to go in the car with you as you go home while I check the rest of the town." Elijah decided.

"Okay, thanks. But, please be safe, alright?" Bella asked him.

"Of course, don't worry about me." Elijah smiled while Bella let Klaus put his arm around her shoulders to guide her back to her car.

"Here, you should drive, I'm too nervous, I don't want us to get into an accident." Bella decided, giving Klaus the keys once they reached her car.

"Of course. You want to go home? I could drive you out of town until they've dealt with the boy." Klaus offered her.

"It's a nice offer Klaus but I'd rather go home. He won't be able to get inside and I'll be able to defend myself and make a few extra potions." Bella smiled.

"Very well. Will you need help?" he asked her, unable to accept the idea of her away from him with Edward around.

"I can do it alone but if you want to help, you're more than welcome to." She smiled.

"Good." He nodded, glad that she wasn't shutting him out.

.

Later, sitting in her living room with everyone else, Bella was tensed.

Elijah had reported that while he hadn't seen Edward, it was obvious he had been wherever Bella had been for the last few days. His scent was all over the small town and he had found a way to hide from them. They hadn't been able to track him yet, though Bella hadn't tried to do it with Magic yet.

"We achieve nothing just sitting here doing nothing." Bella complained while Esmee held Rosalie to help her drink some blood.

"What do you suggest?" Damon asked Bella as he sat closer to Bonnie, definitely close enough to defend her in case of danger.

"He'll stay around until he gets to talk to me, I just need to get close enough and listen to whatever he wants to say." Bella suggested.

"It's too dangerous Bella, Edward is not himself anymore." Carlisle shook his head.

"If he becomes too dangerous I'll just freeze him, I'll vanquish him if I have to, even though I'm not sure I want to, I will if I have to." The young witch replied softly.

"She did kill Victoria on her own." Damon added pensively, seeing the scene again in his head.

"My primary goal is not to kill Edward, Damon!" Bella snapped.

"I know. You're all about giving people second chances but honestly, with Edward it would be what, his third? Fourth chance?" Damon replied.

"You were happy to have one of my second chances Damon." Bella snapped at him as everyone watched.

"I'm not complaining!" Damon defended himself quietly.

"Yes, and see how well that worked for her." Caroline rolled her eyes, reminding everyone that Damon had cheated on Bella.

"Okay enough. All this fighting isn't good for Rosalie's baby!" Bella snapped in a loud voice, forcing everyone to stop talking and look at her.

"Thanks." Rosalie replied quietly.

"What do you suggest Bella? It's only right that you be the one making this decision." Sage said softly.

"I say I go and meet him alone. If I have company he will see it and won't talk, I'm going to try and show him reason." Bella decided.

"And where do you plan on going to risk your life?" Klaus asked her as Elijah looked worried for his best friend.

Bella looked between the two of them and said:

"He won't come near the house with all of you waiting for him, he might be crazy but I doubt he's THAT crazy. I'll wait for him in the woods behind the house." She decided.

"Aren't you going to protect yourself at all?" Klaus asked in a tight voice.

"I'm going to rush upstairs and grab a couple freezing potions along with instant fire potions. If he has an amulet to be immune against my personal powers he will be reachable with the potions." Bella suggested to calm Klaus and the others down a bit.

Then she stood up and quickly went upstairs to grab the potions she needed along with a few others. She put them all in a small bag and once she was about to leave the magic room, she noticed that Klaus was standing in the doorway, looking worried, almost like he was fighting to force his way by her side.

"Please don't do this Isabella." He asked her, worry and concern obvious in his eyes.

"I have to Klaus, he won't stop otherwise."

"He's running on crazy right now, I've seen enough crazy people to know what they're capable of. Hell, I've been one of them! He's unpredictable and dangerous." Klaus pleaded.

"That's exactly why I have to do this now. I don't want him to start attacking people in town and I feel like he will if I wait too long." Bella replied softly, trying to get the original to see her point.

"Please promise me you're going to be very careful." Klaus asked her while holding her head between in hands, knowing that asking her to tag along wouldn't work.

She could feel herself blush under the intensity of his stare.

"You know I will." She replied, feeling for the first time in the presence of Klaus, butterflies in her stomach.

"Give me your word!" He demanded.

"I give you my word that I'll be careful and do everything I can to come back unharmed." Bella replied, looking at him right in the eyes and feeling a connection being established between them.

He nodded, let her go and followed her down the stairs, making sure that she knew that he'd come for her as soon as she called him.

Just as she reached the back door and walked on the porch, Elijah interrupted her. Klaus was still behind her, his hand at the small of her back and Elijah was now standing between her and the door.

"I'll be fine." She said before he could say anything.

"You'll call if you need us?" Elijah asked her.

"I will, I promise. The two of you have to understand that I'm powerful enough to hold my own though." Bella told them both.

"I know, we know, Bella believe me. The sight of you destroying our parents is in my memories as one of the best ones yet but you can't stop us from worrying. Edward could be prepared. I've been the bad guy Bella and my brother has seen me and fought me as such. He knows me and he knows what a crazy man on a mission can accomplish." Klaus reminded Bella while Elijah nodded.

"We're just worried Bella, because we care and we don't want to lose you." Elijah added.

"You don't need to worry but tell you what: Why don't the two of you stay right here on the porch, this way you'll see me come back and you might even be able to hear everything that's said." Bella suggested.

Both brothers nodded. Elijah kissed her forehead, followed by Klaus who appeared to be fighting against himself not to kiss her lips. Knowing that he wasn't used to feeling this way, Bella placed her hands on each side of Klaus's face and kissed his right cheek before walking through the back door.

.

Bella walked toward the woods without looking back even if she could feel everyone's stare on her back. She knew that the others had probably joined Klaus and Elijah to watch her back. Before she entered the woods she turned back toward the house once and gave them a small smile. If only Klaus and Elijah were on the porch, she could see the others watching hr through the windows.

From afar, Edward watched as Bella walked in the woods, looking around her as if she was waiting for someone or expecting someone to join her. It took him a few minutes to realize he was the one she was expecting to meet and it made him happy. He had been right, she wanted him, this was all the proof he needed. She had probably managed to escape the others and was hoping that he would save her and bring her back to her best friend: Alice.

"Waiting for me Love?" Edward asked as he snuck up behind her.

He was really happy that she would look for him. In his mind, it could only mean one thing: she still loved him and wanted him back. He couldn't see any other reasons.

"Edward, don't call me Love. You lost that right long ago." She snapped back at him, showing him immediately with her body language that she wasn't here to exchange pleasantries and catch up with him.

She was happy to see that he kept his distance. He hadn't forgotten how she handled his unwelcome advances the last time and it made her smile a bit though she tried not to show it. She didn't want him to get any ideas.

"It's not very attractive behavior Bella." He scolded her in a very disapproving tone.

"Well then maybe I should act this way more often, it might help me get rid of a few unwanted admirers." Bella joked in an humorless tone.

"I can get rid of those men for you." He told her like he would be doing her a favor.

"So you kill people now?" Bella asked him, scandalize.

It was too dark for her to be able to see his eyes. Were they red or gold?

"Alice told me it was a necessary evil." He replied simply, letting her know that he was, indeed, feeding on humans.

"Alice is the one who is acting in an evil way!" Bella snapped, unable to keep her cool.

"Don't be silly Bella, Alice is my sister and your best friend." Edward stated.

"She hasn't been my best friend in a long time Edward. She is manipulating you so you'll help her in her big evil plan." Bella replied, trying to convince him to see things her way.

"You're being absurd Bella! Now stop saying nonsense and come with me. I'll take you back home and you'll see just how silly you're being once you're away from these people's bad influences." Edward decided as he grabbed her left arm.

Bella tried to push him away by using her powers and succeeded.

He wasn't immune to her powers and went flying into a tree, breaking it in half and creating a sound that reverberated through the whole forest and up to her house.

"Now you need to stop that magic thing, Bella. It's not good for you. Alice said it was corrupting your soul!" The crazy guy told her in the same tone he would have used if he had been speaking to a misbehaving child.

"My magic is good and isn't corrupting anything! Alice is evil Edward and if you refuse to see that I'll have to take actions against you too." Bella was desperately trying to find a way out of this where she didn't have to kill him.

She couldn't bring herself to say the words, she couldn't kill the one who had been her first love. No matter how crazy he had gotten and everything he had done, he was still her first love and if she managed to hate him, she couldn't kill him.

"Come on Bella, you're a girl, you can't do anything to me. Now stop this silliness and come with me." Edward ordered, getting impatient.

"I'm not going anywhere Edward, with or without you. This is my home and I'll stay in it if I want to."

"You can't live in a house full of vampire Bella, especially those men. They lust after you Bella!" Edward snapped angrily.

"First of all I don't need yours or anyone's authorization to do anything, I'm free to live wherever I want and with whomever I want! Secondly, I welcomed the Mickealson's in my house because I wanted to, they are my friends and I enjoy living with them!" Bella replied harshly, her tone getting angrier by the second.

"Bella, you're being very unreasonable. Don't force me to take actions!" Edward threatened her.

She could see reason slowly leaving his eyes and put her hand in her bag slowly, grabbing one of the fire potions.

"What do you think you can do exactly Edward? I'm capable of taking care of myself. I can defend myself from you, I already did the last time, remember that?" She replied angrily.

"Alice told me you wouldn't hurt me!" Edward said as he dangerously walked closer to her.

"Then I guess that shows you just how wrong Alice can be."

Edward tried to grab her once more and she threw the fire potion at him. As the flames were all over him, she threw a freezing potion before she started running. She knew it wouldn't last long on him and the potions wouldn't kill him but she hoped it would be enough for him to run away from her. She couldn't bring herself to kill him, not yet. Every time she had tried during the conversation, Carlisle's face came to her mind and she couldn't bring herself to say those words. She didn't know why and it worried her. She didn't hear him behind her but she kept on running until she reached her garden where Elijah, Jasper, Emmett and Klaus joined her. Klaus took her in his arms and carried her inside.

"What happened?" Carlisle asked her, coming to examine her.

"Did he hurt you?" Klaus asked with a terrifying growl.

"Are you okay?" Bonnie asked Bella.

She summarized the meeting to them, not hiding the shame she felt for not being able to say the words to kill Edward.

"I don't know why but I couldn't kill him, I couldn't bring myself to say the words I needed." she repeated as tears appeared on her face.

Sage and Esmee came over to hug her.

"It's okay Bella. You don't have to feel bad about this. You shouldn't be feeling this shame. You couldn't kill him because you have a history with him and because you didn't want to be the one to end his life, it's okay." Jasper comforted her.

"We'll find a way to deal with this." Sage reassured her.

"I'll go check what's happening with him right now." Jasper offered before he kissed Rebekah's forehead and stood.

"I'm coming with you!" Was what came from several sides of the room: Elijah, Klaus, Damon, Stefan, Kol, Emmett, Caroline, Anna and Finn had said the same thing at the same time.

"Maybe some people should stay here just in case." Rosalie suggested, her worried mother's instinct kicking in.

"She's right. Caroline and Anna should stay here with Rebekah to protect the house. I'll patrol around the house with Emmett while you guys go further and take care of things." Klaus suggested, refusing to leave Bella and knowing that Emmett wouldn't want to leave Rosalie either.

"Good idea." Damon approved before he squeezed Bonnie's hand and walked out with his brother and the others.

They quickly reached the spot where Bella had confronted Edward and could see burning marks on the ground. They didn't have a problem following his scent from this point. They followed him out of town and for about 200 miles until they realized that he wasn't coming back. They rushed back home and when they arrived, told the worried houseful that Edward had left town for now. Bella did a spell that would light a special candle near the door if he ever came close to the house again and they all separated to do what they had initially planned to do.

.

After Edward's departure had been confirmed, Jasper took Rebekah out again and gave her a necklace he had made himself to replace her mother's necklace she used to wear but had to give up for the greater good. It was a diamond shaped as a heart placed on a delicate gold chain and she absolutely loved it. In the center of the heart, there was a small Lapis Lazuli stone shaped as another heart that had been spelled by Bella. It was very beautiful and Rebekah had tears in her eyes when she accepted it and let Jasper put it around her neck.

.

Kol and Caroline had been spending a lot of time together lately and they liked it.

First they got together only for the sex, however later they realized they had fun together and went out to have drinks or watch movies together. For the time being, they were together. They would deal with the rest later, as time passed. They didn't feel the need for labels yet.

.

Bonnie was happy.

Damon had obviously decided to give her a chance and she could feel him being more romantic towards her. Slowly, their relationship was shifting from friendship to something more. He was taking his time with her and she couldn't be any happier with it. She hadn't missed earlier when she shifted closer to her protectively in case Edward managed to come inside, she had been touched by this gesture and made sure he knew how much she appreciated him later, when he dropped her off in her house.

They had exchanged their first kiss and it had been sweet, tender and, dare she think it, romantic. Damon was showing her the gentleman that he could be and she loved it.

She couldn't help but think that maybe Esmee's presence in their lives had helped him with his issues with women. The woman was slowly becoming a mother figure for every parent less teen in their little group and she didn't mind, she was, too, lacking a mother figure ever since her grandmother died.

.

Liz was home and once more she was in her bathroom. She was home alone because Caroline was out again and she was glad that her daughter wasn't here to pick up on her worry. She was sitting on her bathroom floor, crying. Deep down, she had hoped that the small pregnancy test would turn out positive but she didn't even have a chance to do it that her menstruations had arrived, crushing every hope she still had deep down.

She hadn't realized how much she had been hoping to actually be pregnant with Charlie's child. She would have loved to have a reason to be with Charlie again. She knew he didn't like Mystic Falls but she would have moved to Forks for him, she would have dropped everything for him.

Deciding she needed to talk with someone, she got her cell phone out and called the number she had tried really hard not to dial until then.

"Hey, you've reach Charlie. I'm not home at the moment but if you leave a message I'll call you back later." The answering machine recited.

Sighing, she dialed his work number.

"Chief Swan speaking."

"Charlie, it's Liz." She greeted him in a small voice.

"Liz? Are you okay? Did something happen?" He asked with worry.

"Don't worry, Bella is fine." She reassured him in a small voice, unable to hide that she wasn't.

"But you're not." He guessed.

"I miss you Charlie." She declared.

"Liz, I miss you too but I can't live in Mystic Falls… I…" he tried to look for the right words.

"I thought I was pregnant for the last couple of days. Turns out I'm not but… part of me hoped I was, to give me an excuse to leave everything here and join you." Liz confessed softly.

"Is it really something you would do? Leave everything behind to come and live in Forks?" Charlie asked her with surprise.

"Caroline can take care of herself now more than ever and she would visit. Yes, that's definitely something I would do Charlie. I've been thinking about it more and more lately, I can't get this idea out of my head." She replied.

"I don't want you to feel like you have to leave everything you know behind Liz, I don't want to force you into anything."

"I know you don't, I… I need you Charlie." She was crying again.

Why did she feel like a teenage girl all over again? She felt like the 18 years old girl she used to be, crying on the phone and begging Charlie to come back except that this time, she was begging to join him.

"Listen, you don't have to make decisions right away. You can always come here for a few days and make a decision later." Charlie suggested to the woman he still loved.

"You have to want it too."

"You know I do Liz, it's always been you. Renee was just a poor attempt on my part to forget you. One that failed miserably since she accused me a few times of calling your name in my sleep." He replied softly.

"I'll see how soon I can take a few days off and get back to you later." She replied with hope in her voice.

"Okay. Will you be okay until then?" He asked her.

"Yes, I will. Thanks. I love you Charlie."

"I love you too Liz."

She hung up and stood, feeling better.

She would talk to Carole the next day and organize herself a few days off to go and spend some time with Charlie. Hopefully she would be able to convince him that they belonged together. She knew it would mean giving up her job but she honestly didn't care much anymore. As long as she could be with Charlie and know that Caroline was alright, she'd be happy.

And who knew, maybe working with Charlie would be fun.

.

Bella was still confused when it came to Klaus. Could she really trust him with her heart? Could someone like him really love her forever?

"Maybe you should ask advice from someone magical." Rosalie suggested.

"What like an ancestor?" Bella asked.

They were both in Rosalie's bedroom talking about love.

"Or a specialist. I've seen in the book a page about Cupids. Maybe you should call one for some advice." Rosalie suggested.

"It's actually not a bad idea, a cupid would know if it's meant to be with Klaus or not."

"You should go and do it now, I'm going to take a small nap anyway." The mother-to-be advised.

Bella stood up and left the room, heading to her magic room.

She closed the door behind her and walked to the book. She opened it to the Cupid page and read what they said. There was a small introduction of the magical being along with a small spell to summon one:

" _Being of love I call thee, Cupid, please come to me._ " The spell was short and Bella was skeptical it would work but it did and she slightly jumped when several small red hearts appeared and left room for a handsome tall man with blond hair and green eyes dressed in a white robe.

"Well, I haven't been called by a Swan witch in several years. What can I do for you?" The man asked Bella.

He was very handsome and had a deep voice that would make Bella's toe curl if she wasn't so taken with Klaus already.

"Hum… You helped my grandmother?" Bella asked him.

"Yes, if I remember correctly she wanted me to help a couple of her friends find love. I've heard of her passing, I'm sorry. She was a good woman." The Cupid replied.

"Thanks. So, should I call you Cupid?"

"Yes."

"I thought there were several Cupids, do you all have the same name?" Bella didn't understand how it was his name.

"There is a few of us, yes. Enough to cover up the world, but we all have different names. Now, what can I help you with young Miss Swan?"

"Well, I find myself with a… suitor, I guess. He's charming and I realize that I'm starting to fall for him but I have doubts. I wonder if his feelings are true, if he can really love me. I also wonder if Elijah really feels only friendship for me because at times I can sense like there's something more but he hides it well. I'm wondering if he's not pretending only to want friendship to make my decision easier and to let Klaus be happy. I don't love him that way but I'd hate to end up breaking his heart." Bella explained.

"Ah yes, Elijah and Niklaus Mickealson. You knew them both before you came here."

"No I didn't." Bella replied confused as to what he was speaking about.

"Not in this life no. In one of your previous lives you met them. You were very close to them." The cupid replied.

"If you tell me I was Tatia Petrova I will snap!" Bella shook her head.

"No. You weren't Tatia but you were alive during the same time, you knew them during the same time."

"So how does this information help me make my decision and calm my doubts?" She asked him.

"I cannot tell you who your right choice is because love is a journey you have to travel on your own but I can tell you that the one you got taken away from in that past life is the one right for you in this life. The other one's heart won't be broken." The cupid replied, getting ready to leave.

"Wait, you can't leave like that. What am I suppose to do?" She asked him.

"You're a witch." The man reminded her before he winked at her and left in a cloud of tiny red flying hearts.

Bella was upset. Being reminded that she was a witch wasn't exactly the response she was waiting for. It didn't help at all! Sighting, she was about to leave the room when she decided to call for either her grandmother or Bianca and try to find an answer. She summoned a spirit, not really knowing who she would find.

"Hello Bella. How can I help you today?" Bianca Swan asked her descendant.

"Bianca, I need a little guidance."

"I'm listening." Bianca replied kindly.

Bella then proceeded to tell her everything and the spirit told her:

"There is a spell in the book to see a past life. You wait until you're alone and able to stay quietly alone and undisturbed for a while and cast it. You will fall asleep immediately but your mind won't rest. You will share the body of your past life and be able to learn what you need to learn to answer your questions."

"Thank you, Bianca."

"You're welcome, child. How is the book coming?"

"Slowly, I'll call you back when I know more and tell you how it goes."

"Good bye Isabella. Good luck." Bianca smiled before she disappeared, leaving Bella alone once more.

.

Edward was hurt both physically and mentally. He couldn't understand how Bella could do this to him. She loved him, Alice told him so.

Well, he didn't have much choice right now. He had to go back and find Alice. After all, even if he didn't love Rose, at least she liked being with him and gave him great pleasure. He was running back to Alice with one idea in mind: Hurting Bella for hurting him. If Rose being with Damon had hurt her so much, it will hurt her too to know he is with Rose and that he was giving Rose all the physical attention he had denied her, right?

* * *

 **Another chapter in,**

 **A lot of you asked about Freya and Dahlia in the previous chapter's reviews. I will add them in, but near the end, so I can make this story a bit longer than the previous one. As for Enzo, he will be back once in a while, but never for long, unless I decide to pair him with Freya, I'm not sure.**

 **review please?**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	13. Chapter 13

_Chapter 13 :_

Elijah and Bella were sitting together in the living room, working on her version of Bianca's journal and they seemed to be getting along really well, their friendship stronger than ever.

Klaus was standing in the doorway, watching them and wondering if Elijah hadn't lied to him about his feelings for Bella. Being in love with her, he understood why anyone, let alone Elijah, would fall for her and he couldn't help but feel jealous of how close they were being.

Suddenly, Elijah made a joke about someone that appeared in the journal and Bella laughed, making Klaus smile. He was sure that he'd manage to rule in his jealousy as long as Bella was this happy. It was new to him, caring about someone else so much that he'd pass their happiness before his own but for Bella, he'd do it without thinking twice.

"You shouldn't be jealous of Elijah, he really only sees Bella as a friend." Rebekah whispered in his ear.

"I know that I shouldn't. Anyway, it might end up being for the best if he did." He whispered back.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't deserve someone like her. She's pure, full of goodness and light. I'm not, I might just end up screwing this up and breaking her heart. Elijah wouldn't do that. He'd keep her safe and happy." He explained to his sister as they walked toward the garden.

"You're changing, we can all see that. You could be like this too, I know you have it in you, Nik and so does Bella." She told him.

"I know but it will take me time to learn to trust people the way she does, to be really good. I feel like I'd be doing something really bad by being with her, but at the same time, I really feel like we could build something great together." Klaus explained to his baby sister.

"You're good too Niklaus, you're still the boy who made me a wooden knight so I wouldn't be afraid of the storm. Your doubts are the proof that you're changing and that you're good." Rebekah replied before she kissed his cheek and walked to the door.

"Going out with Jasper again?" Klaus asked her before she left completely.

"Yes, I am." She replied softly.

"I'm happy for you, I like him. In case you were wondering, I approve and so do Elijah, Finn and Kol. None of us will be interfering." He told her with a soft smile very little people got to see.

She smiled back at him and went back to him, kissed his cheek before she left to meet up with her boyfriend.

Klaus stayed in the garden a while and when he heard that Elijah and Bella were done, he stayed where he was, hoping that Bella would chose to spend some time with him next and fearing that she would go away from him.

"Klaus, I need to go grocery shopping, do you want to come with me?" She asked him.

He smiled. It was her way of spending time with him, getting to know him, without dating yet.

"I'd love to." He replied with a smile, wondering what his old enemies would think of the sight of him pushing a shopping cart filled with food for his household.

.

Katherine and Alice were dressing each other up and having fun doing so while Edward was getting closer to Rose in the next room.

"Those two do sure make a lot of noise." Katherine complained.

"Don't worry Kat, we won't have to suffer them for much longer." Alice replied in a soothing voice.

"What do you mean? I thought we needed them?" She was surprised.

"We do, but they will outlive their usefulness soon enough." Alice reassured her.

Katherine smiled. Life with Alice was much more fun than what it had been before when she was alone.

"So, are we going to Charlotte soon?" Katherine asked her friend later.

"Yes, we'll be leaving tomorrow. I can't see what will happen but we better find that Mickeal as soon as possible, he could turn out to be very useful." Alice replied.

"We need to be careful though. He could turn on us, it's in his nature." The Petrova vampire warned.

"We'll make sure to dispose of him ourselves as soon as he got rid of Klaus and the other originals." Alice reassured her as they had to listen to Rose and Edward ' _playing_ ' with each others.

Katherine couldn't help but wonder how Rose could stay with Edward when he was moaning Bella's name instead of hers but shrugged it off. It wasn't her problem, she didn't even care about Rose.

They left Seattle the next day and when they finally arrived in Charlotte, they went directly to the cemetery. They found the tomb quite easily and the four of them entered. When they opened the coffin where Mickeal was supposed to be and only found ashes, they were all shocked.

"No! This can't be! Who could have had the power to kill him?" Katherine exclaimed, shocked and angry.

"Bella." Edward stated.

"Now isn't the time to be thinking about her, Edward!" Rose snapped.

"Her scent is all around the tomb." Edward explained.

"Yes, I can smell her too." Alice shook her head.

"Klaus and Elijah too!" Katherine informed after concentrating a bit on the scents.

"Well, what do we do now?" Rose asked as she pressed herself in a slutty way to Edward.

"We have to do things on our own." Katherine snapped back at Rose.

The two of them had a hard time getting along and Katherine couldn't wait for the time when they would finally get rid of Edward and Rose.

"Let's go, there's nothing here for us anymore." Alice decided before she led them out.

"Where are we going now?" Edward asked.

"Texas. We need to create new friends." Alice replied with a smirk.

.

Liz had been to talk with Carole as soon as she could and the woman agreed to talk with her husband about letting her take a few days off. They both talked to Richard at the same time and the man didn't have a choice but to agree and let Liz take a couple of weeks off work.

The woman was happy and immediately called Charlie to inform him she would be leaving in a couple of days and staying about 2 weeks. The man couldn't keep the joy off his voice when he told her he couldn't wait.

Liz chuckled. They were both like teenagers when they were together and it was a nice feeling.

She went and started to pack for her trip. She also told her daughter about her coming absence and Caroline was happy for her mother. After all, everyone deserved happiness, right?

It had been decided that while she was in Forks, her job would be offered to Alaric who seemed like a good proposition. Even if the man liked to teach history, he didn't mind taking the badge for a while. The school could always find someone else to teach history.

They were considering asking Sage. The woman was thinking about it but Finn knew she would end up accepting the offer. He knew her and he knew how much she loved teaching what she knew to other people.

.

In the first time in a long time, Bella was alone.

Rosalie was in her room with Sage and Rebekah, doing girly things and talking about their experiences with thirst control and everyone else was out doing different things in town.

It was time.

She knew now was her opportunity to find out more about the past life she needed to know about, to cast the spell that would help her make a decision for the future. She opened the Book and placed the 5 required candles around her bed before she put the Book on it and put a _'Do Not Disturb, magic in progress'_ sign she had done herself on her bedroom door. She then went to sit back on her bed and read the spell:

" _Power of the witches rise, course unseen across the skies._ _Remove the chains of time and space and make my spirit roar. Let these mortal arms embrace the life that haunts before._ "

As soon as she said it, she felt herself fall and closed her eyes only to open them to a new place, in a body that wasn't hers.

 _Bella's past life:_

Bella wasn't in control of the body she was in.

The girl was in front of a mirror, adjusting a dress and Bella could see her past life was slightly smaller than she was herself with a skin a little darker. Her eyes were brown as well but it was a different shade of brown, one less bright than her own. Her hair was longer than hers and less wavy but in a similar color, without the small stripes of natural red in them.

She heard herself saying she was going out as her legs carried her outside where she worked on the garden for a while before going in the woods to look for some mushrooms. For a minute she wondered how she could understand it all but then she figured magic was probably translating everything for her. It had to be part of the spell, to make sure that she'd understand what was going on.

She followed her past life's routine for a few hours and learned her name was Matilda and that she was Elijah and Niklaus' best friend since they were kids.

She heard herself confessing to her mother how she was in love with Niklaus but he only had eyes for the tramp Tatia even thought she didn't deserve him and was playing him and Elijah. Matilda's mother told her that if it was meant to be it would be, not to worry about anything. Everything would make sense in time, even her love for one of her best friends.

Bella witnessed as Matilda took care of Niklaus some of the times Mickeal hurt him, doing her best to help him heal quickly. She didn't know how long she was in that body but it looked like she was jumping through time: days, weeks, months at a time.

She saw Matilda cornering Niklaus one sunny day and telling him she was in love with him and watched as he looked shocked, not expecting this confession from her. Then she avoided him a bit and later the brothers were changed along with the rest of their family.

She remained their friends, not willing to turn her back on them like the rest of the village had done. However she couldn't help but be hurt when she saw Tatia flirting with Niklaus and when the man answered with some flirting of his own. Matilda couldn't get rid of her love for Niklaus and was stuck feeling pain. Even though Niklaus had hurt her feelings, Matilda stayed by his side and remained his friend, showing him that no matter what happened, that even though he was obviously different from his siblings, she'd be there for him.

After a couple of other time jumps, Bella saw Tatia being killed in the sacrifice to bind Niklaus' werewolf side. Was it wrong of her to be happy about it? Of course she was sad for Niklaus and what had been done to him but she was glad that Tatia was now dead. She hadn't been good for Elijah or Niklaus. She was just a trouble maker.

She saw Elijah and Klaus cry. She knew that they weren't just crying for Tatia. Elijah was crying because he was sorry for helping his parents curse his brother and Niklaus also cried for the father he hadn't known and just lost. They were together, decided to stay brothers and friends before the newly bound hybrid looked at Matilda with new eyes. It was like Tatia's death had lifted a spell and that he was now free to love her.

She watched Matilda being happy to see her love finally looking at her the way she wanted him to for so long but she also had to watch as, out of nowhere, a man known in the next village to be a werewolf, shot an arrow to her heart, killing her on the spot. Since Matilda didn't die immediately, she heard the werewolf explaining that he was killing her because Mickeal had killed one of their own.

A life for a life, once again.

Bella had time to see Niklaus ripping the man's heart out before she was sucked back into her own body and in her bedroom.

 _Back in the present:_

One look at her cell phone told Bella it had only been 5 hours.

It felt like much longer. She felt like she had been there, like she had lived Matilda's life.

She sat up and put the candles away along with the Book and went back on her bed to think. She had loved Niklaus in a past life. He had loved her as soon as Tatia had been out of the picture but she had been taken away from him by the wolves.

Elijah had been her best friend, the one that was always there for her and that was always willing to listen to her problems and help her find a solution.

Niklaus had been her love, the man she had loved from the beginning, the one she had been taken from way too soon.

This vision had cleared everything up for Bella, like lifting a cloud from her heart and mind. Klaus was the one for her, the one who loved her and with whom she'd be happy. Even if Elijah had romantic feelings that he was hiding from her, he wasn't the one for her, they were just meant to be friends. He'd surely find love with someone else some day.

Cupid had said that the one she wasn't meant to be with would find his true love soon after, so she didn't have to worry about hurting him, right? All she had to do was wait a while before she gave Niklaus a chance, which was good because she needed to find a way to reassure him, to make sure he understood that he deserved love and happiness and that he could be good.

Sighting, she left her room and went to find Rosalie. The blond was coming out of the bathroom, supported by Sage and Rebekah.

"How did it go?" Rebekah asked her.

"Did you get your answer?" Rosalie asked her sister.

"I saw the past life Cupid was referring to." Bella nodded with a peaceful smile.

"And? Come on, you've got to tell us more than that!" Rebekah exclaimed excitedly.

"You all promise not to tell anyone? This doesn't leave this room?" Bella asked.

The three women nodded and she told them:

"My name was Matilda, I looked differently than I do today."

"You were Niklaus and Elijah's best friend! You were killed by a wolf shortly after the curse was put on Klaus!" Rebekah exclaimed.

"Yes, I was in love with Klaus since I was little apparently and he only looked at her like she wanted him to after Tatia was killed. It was like a spell had been lifted from him." Bella explained, confused on whether she should say ' _I_ ' or ' _she_ ' when speaking of Matilda.

"Knowing Tatia, she probably did find a way to curse them just for her own pleasure and amusement." Sage commented with disgust.

"I remember that day. Elijah and Niklaus came back from Tatia's funeral feeling free and happy. They had just reconciled. Niklaus went to find Matilda to tell her that he loved her after Elijah assured him that it was the right time, that he shouldn't wait any longer. He was hoping it wasn't too late for them, that Elijah was right and that she'd forgive him for sticking with Tatia after she confessed her feelings for him. When he got back with her dead body he was in such a rage, I've never seen him angrier in my life." Rebekah added.

"Does that mean you will give Niklaus a chance?" Sage asked.

"Yes, I will. It might take time but we have time. I'm confident that Elijah will find someone soon anyway." Bella nodded.

"How do you know?" Rosalie asked her.

"Cupid told me that the one I wasn't supposed to be with would find love soon after I found the truth, that he wouldn't be heartbroken. I also feel like Klaus needs to be reassured about the fact that he's changing and that he hasn't failed. That will take some time but I know how to do it." Bella replied.

"Klaus will be surprised, he thought you'd end up going for Elijah anyway because he'd be better for you." Rebekah confessed.

"Elijah never even said he was interested in me this way, where did Klaus get this idea anyway?" Bella asked, shaking her head.

"Probably from his lack of self confidence when it comes to people that love him." Rebekah shrugged her shoulders.

"I'll work on that, I already have an idea." Bella smiled mysteriously and the other girls knew that she wasn't going to reveal her idea to them.

"Do we know who Elijah's love is then?" Sage asked Bella.

"I don't know but she'll come along eventually. Cupids never lie." Bella replied.

"If the Cupid said that it would be soon, then she might already be around or on her way." Rosalie added.

"We're all going to be fine. We'll all have love in our life, we'll all be happy." Rebekah whispered happily.

The four girl stayed in the room a while, talking and laughing together about various things. After a while, Emmett came back with the others and they had dinner together. Since the girls hadn't taken the time to cook and nobody felt like cooking that night, they ordered from the Grill and Emmett and Elijah went to pick it up.

Rebekah made sure that Bella was seated right next to Niklaus and watched in delight as her big brother made the witch blush every time he touched her or talked to her. Klaus was in full use of his charm and it worked very well on Bella.

The hybrid could feel that something had changed with Bella. She blushed every time he would touch her or talk to her, she looked decided, at peace with herself. He also could hear her heart beating faster when he was close to her. He smiled. Maybe he had a chance with her after all. Maybe she could be with him.

Maybe, for once in his life, he was going to get the girl, he just hoped he'd be able to keep her.

.

Liz had just gotten out of her plane in Port Angeles and Charlie had picked her up.

She didn't care if she looked like a teenage girl, she ran in his arms and they embraced for a good 15 minutes before they moved and went in his patrol car.

"It's really good to see you Liz." Charlie whispered in the car.

"I'm happy to finally be here, I missed you so much!" She replied as she watched him trying to stay concentrated on the road.

"I missed you too." He replied.

"How's work in Forks?" She asked him.

"Pretty boring compared to what you have in Mystic Falls, I'm sure." Charlie replied honestly.

"Not much action here?"

"The most work I've had this week is when a high school kid showed up to school drunk and crashed his car into two others."

"Any victims?" She asked.

"Nothing serious, a broken leg, a broken arm, a few bruises." Charlie listed.

"But you love it."

"How can I not? Being Chief of police in a town were crime is close to 0 is always good!" He declared with a smile.

"True. It's nice… The quiet, the peace…" Liz stated with a calm face.

"I'm sure you'll miss Mystic Falls in less than a few days." Charlie chuckled.

"I think you underestimate the appeal you add to this town." Liz assured him and watched him blush.

He really was a lot like his daughter, just like Caroline was a lot like her when she was younger. Their daughters were just like them, they took more from them than from their other parent.

.

While Liz and Charlie were driving back to Forks, Caroline and Bella were at school, talking about their respective parents and the possibility of them getting together.

"I think it would be nice, a bit weird but nice." Caroline stated.

"I agree. I had no idea my father had ever loved anyone before my mother but by the looks of it he loved your mother far more. He apparently never forgot her." Bella replied.

"I know. My mother was positively glowing when she got on the plane!" Caroline replied excitedly.

"I wish there was a way for us to help them get together for good."

"My mother would be much happier in Forks with him than here alone." The blond vampire nodded.

"Charlie was very excited too over the phone." The young witch added.

"Isn't there anything we can do like with magic or something?" Caroline asked.

"I don't know… We could ask a Cupid for advice." Bella suggested.

"Like a real Cupid? Expert on love?"

"Yes. Maybe he could help us help them." Bella suggested.

"Great! I'll come by your place today after school." Caroline decided before she headed to her class.

.

Liz and Charlie had finally arrived in his house and he was done showing her around, making sure she knew where everything was. They were now sitting on the couch and drinking a beer, talking about what had happened in their lives since they last saw each other.

"We've been invited for dinner at one of my friend's place, Billy Black." He informed her nervously.

"Oh, from the shape-shifting pack right?" She asked.

"Yes, I see Bella put you up to date with everything."

"She wanted me to be ready." Liz smiled softly.

"How is she really? I mean she told me she's welcomed the Originals into her home. Is she really safe with them?" The worried father asked.

"She's just fine. She makes them more human actually. We haven't had a single 'by vampire' death in a very long time." Liz reassured him.

"It's weird that she doesn't need me anymore, I miss the time when she couldn't take a step on her own without tripping." He declared nostalgically.

"I know what you mean. Caroline has become so independent and strong since her transition, she doesn't need me anymore either."

"We should be proud of our daughters, they're strong and they do good." Charlie said.

"I'm proud, I just wish she needed me more, that she'd stay a little girl longer."

"I know, me too." He agreed before his face grew serious.

"Liz, you know me, I'm not good with sharing my feelings and all but, if after your time here you decide you could be happy here, in this town, with me, I'll be very happy." Charlie declared with a blush on his face that reminded Liz of Bella's.

"I already know I could be happy here Charlie, because Renee didn't like the small town life doesn't mean anyone else wouldn't. Being with you is enough for me, it's all I ever wanted." she replied with a soft smile as she put her hand on his arm.

"Liz…" He started but she cut him off:

"I know you're insecure about us, mainly because of Renee and the number she did on you but you need to have faith in me Charlie. Have faith in us!" She told him as she looked at him in the eyes.

"You're right, come here." He replied as he opened his arms for her to snuggle into until it was time to leave.

It was like no time at all had passed since they had been a couple. They were natural at this.

.

"What do you think they're doing?" Caroline asked Bella at lunch.

"I _so_ don't want to know!" Bella replied quickly.

"Who is she talking about?" Bonnie asked.

"My father and her mother. She's wondering what they are presently doing." Bella informed her.

"What? They deserve to be happy!" Caroline exclaimed.

"I agree, but I don't want to know the specifics of what they are doing together in order to be happy." Bella replied.

"But we're still calling that Cupid after school to ask him for some help with them, right?" The blond asked.

"Yes Caroline, I told you I would." The young witch replied with an eye roll.

After that, Caroline got distracted by Kol and forgot about her questions until after school. Kol was good at distracting Caroline.

.

The rest of the day went by pretty fast for Liz and Charlie and before they knew it, it was time for them to head to La Push. As they got into the police car Charlie said:

"It's nice to be in this car with someone else who is as comfortable as me in it. Bella hated being driven in this."

"I know what you mean, Caroline begged her father to buy her a car the minute she was 16. She always hated being in the police car." she replied softly.

"Remember when they were little and begged to have us turn the siren on to have fun?" He asked her with a hint of nostalgia.

"Those were the good days." She replied.

Soon they were at the reservation and parked in front of Billy Black's house.

"His son Jacob might ask you about Bella. He always does. He has a kid crush on her and hates the fact that she left and that he doesn't have a chance with her." Charlie warned her as they got out of the car.

"He'll move on eventually." Liz assured Charlie.

"I hope so, Bella has never seen him as something other than a friend. They weren't even that close." He sighted.

Soon, they were in the Black's back yard with the Clearwater's and Sam Uley along with his fiancée Emily. After some quick introductions, Sam informed Charlie that Bella texted him and asked him to make sure Liz was in the loop if anything happened. Liz thanks him, she was grateful Bella knew her so well.

Billy and Harry were happy for their best friend: he looked truly happy right now! Of course they had heard about Liz over the years and they knew all about their history but it was nice to actually meet her and see their friend finally be happy with her, even if for a few days.

"So Liz, how long are you planning on staying in Forks?" Sue Clearwater asked the blond woman.

"It depends on how long Charlie will have me, I'm aiming for forever." She replied softly.

"This is kind of a trial for us." Charlie added.

"What do you mean?" Billy asked.

"If we can work out for the duration of her planned stay here, we might make things more permanent." Charlie explained with a slight blush.

"That's a good idea. You should have tried that with Renee, save you some heartache." Harry joked.

"If he had done that Bella wouldn't exist!" Emily frowned from her spot on Sam's lap.

"Neither would my Caroline." Liz agreed.

"Maybe it was always meant to happen this way." Sue suggested.

"Maybe, we'll see if we can be happy here together." Charlie said as he pressed Liz to his side in an affectionate gesture.

"I already told you I was sure of it, you're the only one with doubts." Liz reminded him.

"Forks is much more boring than Mystic Falls!" Charlie replied as Liz rolled her eyes:

"I can handle it. The way I see it it's not boring, it's calm!" She chuckled.

After that, it was just fun and jokes and getting to know Charlie's friends. All in all a pretty good evening.

When they got home, it felt like they had done it thousands of times before and like they had been living together for several years. It was natural between them. They eventually fell asleep in each other's arms after a night of passion.

.

Bella and Caroline were in the magic room, after school.

Bella reopened her Book of Shadows at the Cupid page and called him. Caroline jumped and squealed when the tiny red hearts appeared.

"Hello again young Isabella. Do you need more help with your love life and the decisions you have to make?" The same cupid had appeared and asked her.

"No it's fine I got my answer, thanks. This is my friend, Caroline." She introduced quickly, not wanting to have to tell everything or explain to Caroline (or anyone really) why she hadn't made a move yet.

"And you want me to help your friend solve a love problem?" He asked.

"No, I'm fine. We want your help with our parents." Caroline replied, her eyes not leaving the cupid's well muscled arms.

"I cannot change the fact that your father loves men Caroline. He was never meant to be with Liz for long." The cupid replied in a serious tone.

"We actually want help putting my father and her mother together." Bella replied quickly.

"Ah! True love… Charlie and Liz… I'm not so sure they need your help." He replied.

"What do you mean?" Caroline asked.

"Their time finally came. It's the right time for them, they will be fine. Liz is helping Charlie with his insecurities, he is helping her too. I'm guessing you'll get some good news in a few weeks." He explained with a smile before he disappeared in a cloud of red hearts.

"Well, that's good!" Caroline exclaimed with a bright smile.

"Yes, it is!" Bella nodded before she closed the Book and they walked downstairs.

They walked in the living room and sat down with everyone. They were gathered together to discuss what they would do to prepare against Alice and Katherine's coming attack.

Caroline went to sit on Kol's lap and started to tell them what the Cupid said when a rainbow appeared in the living room.

They all jumped and looked up when a tiny man dressed in green with a weird hat on his head and a small wooden cane appeared in front of them.

"Greetings Miss Swan. My name is Oran." He greeted with a heavy accent.

He seemed to know who he was looking for even though Bella was sure she had never seen him before. She stood up and carefully went to shake his hand.

"You're a Leprechaun!" Bella exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes I am, Miss."

"Sorry, my name is…" She was cut off.

"You're Isabelle Swan, the last matriarch of the Swan bloodline. I came to warn you. You're grandmother saved my family's lives once and I'm here to repay her by helping out hers." He explained.

"Warn me about what?" Bella asked as Elijah and Klaus got closer to her in a defensive manner.

"Thanks to my luck I heard about an old wicked witch who is trying to gain her youth again. She needs the heart of a powerful young virgin witch. You're the closest to her location and the most powerful there is right now. I figured I'd warn you so you could prepare. My brother and his friends are warning the few women who could become her second choices as we speak." He explained.

"How do you know I'm a virgin?" Bella asked with a blush, not yet realizing someone else wanted her dead.

Everyone was looking at her, some with more interest than others.

"Luck, I guess! I have to go now, I told you all I know. I'll send you more info if I can gather them. Good day to you Miss Swan, and good luck." He replied before he tipped his hat at her and left the house on his rainbow.

"You're still a virgin?" Kol asked with a raised eyebrow before Caroline hit his arm.

"That's not the most important!" She told him with a frown.

"What, he can't leave like this. He didn't tell us who this witch was!" Klaus exclaimed angrily.

"Probably because he didn't know more. His kind can be trusted to say the truth. Lying would only bring bad luck on them." Bella replied.

"What do we do?" Elena asked.

"It's easy, Bella needs to lose her virginity, then her heart won't be usable in this magic thing." Damon suggested.

Klaus's head shot up. He knew it was wrong to think that right now, but if she did decide to go on this road, who would get to do it?

"I'm not losing my virginity just to be safe! If she comes I'll fight her." Bella declared as she blushed deeper than ever.

"What if she's prepared for you?" Klaus asked with worry.

"Then we prepare ourselves too!" Jeremy decided.

"She could hire lots of demons to capture me, I'm going to go brew some killing potions and label them." Bella decided, standing up.

"This way we just have to hide some all around the house." Jasper agreed.

"I'm going to get some protective crystals and put them all around Rosalie's room first, I don't have enough for the whole house but at least she won't be bothered. For the house, we'll use something less powerful but more ancient: apples and laurel leaves." Bella informed them.

"Do you need help with making the potions? I mean, we don't need to be witches to do it right?" Rebekah asked.

"No, you don't. Thanks. We're going to need some ingredients, I'll make a list."

After that, while a team went shopping, Damon helped Bonnie practice her own defensive powers and everyone else helped cooking the different potions, even if it was just preparing the ingredients, it still helped.

Elena was in charge of labeling the bottles and everyone else was divided in groups. Some were cutting, others cooking. Jasper and Rebekah had taken a copy of the recipes and were making them at the Boarding house with Carlisle, Esmee and Stefan.

When it was time for dinner, they had enough potions to put everywhere. They each had a set, just in case. They had made freezing potions, fire potions, exploding potions and a few others, stronger and to be used only if the others didn't work. They were ready to deal with whatever would be coming.

After everyone got to bed, Elijah finally put down the book he had been reading and found his hybrid brother pacing the floor.

"What's eating you brother?" He asked.

"I can't sleep now! What if someone was to come and attack Bella during the night? What if she doesn't have the time to defend herself and gets hurt?" Klaus asked him.

"She wouldn't want you standing in the hall all night." He told his big brother.

"I know that but I can't help it. I'm going to stay here until she wakes up tomorrow morning. I'll sleep when she's at school." Klaus decided before he grabbed a book and sat down, planning on drawing to pass the time.

"I'll stay with you." Elijah offered but as he was about to sit down too, his brother said:

"You should sleep so that someone can look after her at school."

"At school she has Rebekah, Jasper, Stefan and Kol to watch over her." Elijah reminded his brother.

"And on the way?" Klaus asked.

"You're right. Good night brother." Elijah replied before he went up to his room, leaving his brother alone in the living room.

Everything would be much easier for Klaus if he had broken his curse already but he couldn't bring this up now, they had enough to worry about and he didn't want them to have to worry about his curse too. He was a bit weaker but he was still strong enough to protect the people he loved. He'd have to be dead before any of them got to hurt Bella.

It must have been around 2 am when Klaus heard some noise in the garden. He immediately reacted and grabbed a freezing potion and a fire potion. As soon as he had them he rushed using his vampire speed to the back door to find some man-shaped creature about to jump toward Bella's bedroom window. The light the stars and the moon shone on him showed he had a green skin with grey stripes all over. Besides that, he seemed to be human enough.

Not thinking twice, Klaus threw the freezing potion at the demon that immediately stopped moving. Bella had explained it would work only on low level demons and that those could be killed by ripping the heart out, allowing them to save a fire potion. Not thinking twice, Klaus ripped the demon's heart out and watched as both the heart and the demon burned to leave only ashes behind him. It had made some noise and he was worried it would wake Bella up. He was about to go back inside to check on Bella when her head appeared at her window:

"Klaus? What are you doing out here at this hour?" She asked in a sleepy voice.

Her hair was all over the place and she still looked half asleep but, in Klaus' eyes, she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"I just killed some demon, human shaped, green skin with grey stripes."

"So that's what the noise was. Are you okay? Is it gone?" She asked him with worry.

"I'm fine, don't worry. Didn't even sweat!" he joked with a reassuring smile, enjoying the fact she worried for him.

"I'm glad. Thanks for watching out." She smiled at him.

"Always, get some rest."

"Good night Klaus." She replied as she retracted her head inside her room.

"Sleep well Bella, I'm standing watch. Nothing will hurt you." He assured, not knowing if she had heard since she closed her window at the same time. However as he listened to her in her room she whispered:

"I know, I trust you with my life Niklaus." He smiled and went back inside to finish his drawing of her.

.

The next morning, Bella asked Klaus to show him the demon in the book. They found out he was a low level kind of demon for hire. If the witch recruited him, it meant she didn't have much power to begin with and Bella wondered what she had used to pay the demon. Money? A rare ingredient? Information? A spell?

"Thanks again for helping out Niklaus. You didn't have to stay up all night to protect me, the demon would have set up the alarm in my bedroom trying to come in the house, he wouldn't have been able to enter anyway and I would have been able to easily kill him." Bella told him as he stood behind her in front of the old Book.

"It's okay, I don't need as much sleep as you do and I'm more than happy to help. I don't know what I would do if anything was to happen to you." He confessed sincerely, making her blush.

Bella took a deep breath and turned around. She was now chest to chest with Klaus and decided he deserved to know the truth.

"I did a spell a few days ago to see a past life because a Cupid told me it would help me take a decision." She started.

"Did it?" He asked.

He was just as nervous as she was but couldn't bring himself to stand further away from her. He loved being this close to her and looked at her in the eyes, seeing an intensity in them that had him hoping.

"Yes, but that's not why I'm telling you this. I think you deserve to know the truth about something."

"Why are you so nervous Bella?" Klaus cut her off, worried for the reasons she'd have to be this nervous.

"In a previous life I was Matilda." She replied and watched as recognition crossed his eyes.

"You saw her life." He realized.

"An abridged and accelerated version of it." She nodded.

"You know what happened to her." He stated.

"Yes, I… I just thought you deserved to know the truth. I know."

He smiled softly at her and put a hand on her cheek and stroked it softly:

"Thank you. It doesn't change anything Sweet Bella. Only that I now understand why I felt such strong feelings so soon after meeting you. It was probably meant to be." He smiled.

She blushed and looked at him. She was about to talk when Rebekah yelled:

"Bella, we're going to be late!"

Bella and Klaus both jumped away from each other, surprised.

"I thought she was going to school with Jasper this morning." Bella sighted in annoyance before giving a smile of excuse to her love and leaving the room.

They would have to talk about it some more later, but not now. Now Bella needed to go to school and try to graduate. She also needed to work on her plan to help Klaus have more self confidence and to help him trust people, especially his family more.

* * *

 **I hope you liked it,**

 **don't forget to review!**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	14. Chapter 14

_Chapter 14 :_

Life in Forks for Liz and Charlie was sweet, nice, easy and natural. They were very happy together and neither had ever been happier than they were lately. Charlie had to go to work eventually but Liz would come and bring him lunch and spend some time with him and his deputy at the station. It was like they were on a honeymoon. They were meant to be.

It had been a week and a half since Liz arrived and she loved her new life in Forks, with the man she had always loved by her side. She was a housewife here and even if it was a big change, she could finally garden and do all the things she always wanted to do. If she was bored, she went to the reservation and spent some time with Sue or Emily where she often made new friends. When Charlie got back home after work, she would have dinner ready for him and they would talk about their day.

"See, I told you it would be a success." She told him that night as they lay against each other on the bed after making love.

"I'm glad, really glad but are you sure you want to live here?" He didn't want her to end up resenting him like Renee had.

"I'm sure. I'm going to call home tomorrow and arrange everything. Caroline and Bella will bring my thing here whenever they decide to visit." Liz decided.

"I'm so happy! I love you Liz: Always have, always will." He whispered against her neck as he kissed his way down her breasts.

"I love you too." She managed to reply before she started moaning again.

.

The next week and a half had been tiring for everyone. Demons had been attacking them several times a day and even if most of them were low level and easy to kill, it took a lot of time and energy. It also managed to interrupt Bella every time she had tried to do what she wanted for Klaus.

"We can't go on like this, we have Alice and Katherine to worry about. They have been way to quiet lately." Klaus raged one afternoon.

He could feel that Bella wanted to talk to him and that last interruption had really angered him. He could tell that what she wanted to tell him was important and would be important to him. He wanted to know what it was, he wanted to have some quiet moments with her.

"I agree. We need to find a way to get this witch before Rosalie or her baby gets hurt." Rebekah nodded.

"I can't track her if I don't have anything of hers and none of the demons we managed to catch knew anything useful!" Bella raged, remembering how she put the truth spell on the demons but the ones who could talk didn't know anything.

Some of them even killed themselves before they could speak. Who knew that evil beings and demons could have this kind of loyalty toward someone who had hired them.

She was very frustrated as well. First she hadn't been able to find time to speak with Niklaus since Rebekah had interrupted them the first time in the magic room and second, demons kept on popping in at the worst times ever. Also Rosalie was close to giving birth and everyone was constantly on edge, worried about her and her baby. Emmett barely left her room anymore and Carlisle came to see her at least 6 times a day. Everyone basically lived at the Swan house now, it was very crowded, which made finding time alone with Klaus even harder.

"Bella, remember when Klaus first came to town and we didn't know if he would give us the coffins? You said you knew a spell where I would be able to find the answer to a question and if I formulated it well I could find my family." Elijah remembered suddenly, looking at Bella.

"Of course!" Bella exclaimed, understanding what he meant and running up stairs.

They all followed her and found her in front of the Book of Shadows, turning pages and gathering ingredients.

As soon as she saw them in front of her she frowned:

"That particular spell is for answers related to the matters of the heart. I don't feel anything for this witch so it won't work."

"Maybe you can rewrite it." Caroline suggested.

"That's what I was thinking, it's going to take some time." She warned as she grabbed a block of paper, a pen and sat down in an old couch in the corner.

They all left her alone to work quietly, except for Klaus who went to sit next to her.

"You don't have to stay you know. It's going to be pretty boring." She told him softly.

"At least I get to spend some time alone with you. It hasn't happened in a while." He replied softly.

"I know, things have been pretty chaotic lately." Bella admitted with a soft blush.

"Don't worry about it Bella, we'll have time to talk later. Work on your spell, I'll be right here." He replied before he grabbed one of the other books in the room and started reading to pass the time.

It was a very old version of fairy tales that came true over time with handwritten notes on the side about how to deal with things.

After about half an hour, Bella was done. She could have done it much quicker but she found it hard to concentrate when Klaus was right next to her, being handsome and sweet and absolutely perfect.

"Do I need to call the others?" Klaus asked her.

"No, I don't need them for this."

"Candles?" He asked as she rose.

She nodded and told him which one she needed. He set them up in the middle of the room and Bella went to stand in the circle they formed along with a big bowl of water and a mixture of herbs.

"Okay, let's try this: _Power of the Swan witches rise, Find the witch plotting my demise. Help me locate her so I can finally, be in peace and vanquish thee._ " As soon as she was done saying the spell, Bella threw the herbs in the water and watched as they formed an address.

"I know this town. Grandma took me there once when I was a little girl here on summer vacation with my dad. It's less than two hours away." Bella exclaimed.

"Good, then we can take care of it tomorrow and finally be done with it." Klaus decided with a relieved smile.

"Yes, with some luck we might finally have some quiet around here." She replied as they made their way downstairs to explain to everyone what they had found.

.

The next morning, Bella was ready to go find the witch. She had a selection of potions ready to destroy the witch and was confident. There had been some talk about who was going to accompany her. Everyone wanted to be a part of this trip to see her kick ass and to see who the witch who wanted to harm Bella was.

In the end, it had been decided that Bonnie needed to stay in Mystic Falls to protect them in case demons were to show up. Carlisle also needed to stay with Rosalie and so Esmee would too. Klaus and Elijah would go with Bella, along with Finn and Sage who both needed some action. Everyone else was disappointed but knew they were needed to protect the town from the demons that could come and attack.

The trip was quiet.

Bella concentrated on the spell she knew in case they had a bad surprise in the witch's house and Klaus had a comforting arm around her shoulder, keeping her close to him.

Ever since Elijah had been told by his brother that Bella was the reincarnation of Matilda, he understood their strong friendship better. It was a friendship as old as he was that had always been meant to last forever. Maybe this time it would.

The drive lasted less than 2 hours thanks to Elijah's driving skills and soon, they found the right house. It was a small house made of wood that could have been cast to be the Ingalls' house in " _little house on the prairie_ ". It was isolated and obviously not being taken care of very well. The grass all around it looked dead, almost like the life had been sucked out of it.

"It must have been a while since the nymphs visited this place." Bella whispered.

"It must have been a while since anyone has visited this place." Sage added.

"The chimney is fuming, so she must be inside." Finn noted.

"How do we proceed?" Klaus asked.

"We should lure her out of her house." Elijah suggested.

"How do we do it?" Bella asked.

"I could go in, saying I want you out of my way to break the curse and pretend I want to help her kill you." Klaus suggested.

"I don't think it's going to be necessary." Sage declared, pointing in the direction of the house.

The door opened and an old looking woman walked out and in the direction of the woods with a basket. She wobbled in the woods with a knife on her belt.

"Now that's one ugly looking woman." Klaus commented with a frown on his face that made Bella smile fondly.

"What is she doing?" Finn wondered.

"She doesn't have anything in her garden, she's probably going to the woods to find ingredients for her potions." Bella guessed.

"How do we deal with her?" Elijah asked Bella softly.

"We don't know what kind of powers she has so we need to be very careful and quick about it. She could blast us all if she has that power, this house and the state of the garden could simply be a cover to throw us off. I think we should surround her. One of you will throw a freezing potion at her and once she stops moving I will throw the vanquishing potion." Bella suggested.

"I'll throw the freezing potion." Klaus decided, wanting to do something useful for his love.

"No, I will do it. You stand near Bella and protect her if necessary." Elijah argued.

"You're right." Klaus nodded his agreement.

"What about us?" Sage asked.

"You surround her with exploding potions. If she resists the freezing potions she won't be able to resist everything at once." Bella suggested.

She had taken very strong potions anyway, potions that would been strong enough to kill even Klaus, not that she'd ever consider it.

They all nodded and ran in vampire speed in their positions. They waited patiently until the old witch came back and they attacked.

Of course the freezing potion didn't work so Bella, Finn and Sage threw their potions at the same time, taking the woman by surprise.

Before she died, the wicked witch had time to throw a knife in Bella's direction. Refusing to see her get hurt, Klaus jumped in the way and caught it in time. The blast from the explosion sent them all flying into trees but they were fine. Klaus had caught Bella mid-flight and she was safely in his arms while he broke a tree in too.

Bella was safe.

Klaus took the knife out of his shoulder while Elijah dusted his suit off.

They made sure nobody else was in the house and left.

They all went back to the car and drove back home.

.

Liz was on the phone with Richard Lockwood, explaining that she wasn't coming back to work. She would come back to pack a few things and leave again.

"Are you sure?" Carole asked her.

"Yes Carole, I've been waiting for this for a very long time. I'm finally happy."

"We'll miss you in Mystic Falls." Richard declared, accepting that she wasn't coming back and why.

He didn't have a reason to complain, Alaric was doing a good job as acting sheriff and he would probably accept the permanent job. Plus, Alaric was a man and even if Richard would never say so in front of his wife, he didn't really like seeing a woman in a position of power in his town. That's why he offered Carlisle Cullen the position as Chief Doctor in the local Hospital... He was not only super competent but a man. He proved that even though being supernatural, he cared for human life and it was enough for the mayor.

"It's what I need, Charlie makes me happy." Liz insisted, glancing at her love in the back yard.

"You sound happy. Well, we'll see you when you come back right?" Carole asked her.

"Yes, I'm not sure about the date yet but I'll keep in touch." Liz assured her before they said their goodbye's and hung up.

.

Bella had just gotten back and after a quick and relaxing shower, she stood on the doorway of Rosalie's room and watched as the woman talked to her belly.

At that moment, Bella was missing her mother very much.

Of course she didn't miss having to take care of her but she was hurt that her mother hadn't called her once since she arrived here in Mystic Falls. She didn't answer her daughter's phone calls either and Bella had been hurt when her mother didn't even call or send a message when her grandmother died. She was wondering what she had done to her mother to deserve such a treatment from her.

Was it wrong of her to want her mother to give some news once in a while? She was just a girl after all and it was natural to want these things, right?

Sighting, she looked at her cell phone and walked in the back yard where she could be alone to try and call her mother again.

She dialed her mother's cell phone number.

Nothing.

She dialed Phil's cell phone number.

Nothing.

She dialed their home number.

Nothing.

She knew they had to be home at that moment. So she didn't stop. She wouldn't give up until she knew what her mother's problem was with her. She kept dialing one number after the other, getting angrier and more impatient with each phone call.

After a while her mother answered her cell phone:

"What?" The voice wasn't the friendly motherly voice Bella had grown up with.

It was cold, distant and it definitely sounded like the voice she had once heard hr mother use against these people who called you at any hour to try to sell you something. Was she really that undesirable?

"It's me, mom. It' Bella." She suddenly felt like an insecure little girl again, her anger vanished.

Maybe she had done something wrong, maybe her mother was right to hate her.

"What do you want? I'm busy!" Renee replied over the phone.

"I haven't talked to you in months and all you have to say is this?" Bella asked incredulously.

"Well, you're the one that chose to walk away, I don't see why I should call you."

"I needed a change mom." Bella exclaimed, tears already forming in her eyes.

"Yes, and you made your feelings on the life I was offering you quite clear!" Renee screeched.

"Was it so wrong of me to want to be a teenage girl for once? To be the one who doesn't have to take care of my parents?" Bella could feel the tears slowly making their way down her cheeks.

"Well, look how well that worked out for you. You're all alone now, or are you back with your father?"

"Oh, so you've heard about grandma's death! Nice of you to at least acknowledge it!" Bella was angry again.

"You made it very clear that you didn't need me Isabella. Now, why did you call if it's not to bother me during my manicure?"

Bella couldn't believe her ears.

"Because you're my mother and I wanted to know how you were doing, I wanted to hear you tell me that you still cared about me." Bella replied in a sad voice.

"Well, I'm perfectly fine. Phil and I are happy and our family is growing quite well without you. You didn't need me and now I don't need you. You made your bed Bella, now you have to sleep in it. Goodbye. Don't call again."

With those last words, the woman hung up and Bella fell to her knees in the grass.

It wasn't long before she felt a soothing presence behind her.

"Why is she this way? What did I do wrong?" She asked between her tears, not looking up.

"You did nothing wrong my Bella. You're mother is the one behaving wrongly. If I listened to myself, I would rush to Florida and rip her apart or compel her to behave better for you." Klaus told her soothingly as he kneeled behind her and took her in his arms.

Bella turned around and cried on his shoulder, her arms wrapped tightly around him while his were around her waist. They sat there for a while until she seemed to be all out of tears and was only sobbing.

"Thank you, I got pretty emotional there." She told him with an apologetic wet smile.

He smiled back at her and softly erased her tears with him fingers.

"You can't always be the strongest Bella. You needed your mother and got disappointed, I think I understand that pretty well given the parents I got."

She smiled at his reminder of Esther.

"Yeah, I guess you do." She nodded with a soft chuckle.

"Come on, the house is pretty quiet and I know Sage bought your favorite ice cream when she went shopping yesterday." He told her while guiding her toward the house.

"She bought it because you reminded her to do it." She smiled.

"How do you know?" He asked with surprise evident in his voice.

"I might have overheard you telling her." Bella admitted with a blush as he chuckled softly and told her to go get comfortable, he would bring her the ice cream.

They spend the rest of the afternoon together, eating ice cream and trying to get Bella's mood up.

Truth was, Bella realized she didn't need her mother, she had her family right there. Sage and Rosalie had taken the roles of elder sisters, Esmee was everyone's mother and loved it. She had her father and a whole bunch of brothers along with her Love, her Klaus.

By the time she said goodnight to her original suitor, Bella knew she didn't need her mother anymore. The woman had turned her back on her and she would deal with it. She had a whole new family, along with Charlie and Liz who, she knew it, would end up being her step-mother someday soon.

.

Damon had been spending a lot of time with Bonnie lately and he couldn't deny that not only was she fun, the little witch was also able to keep up with him and to keep him on his toes. Maybe they wouldn't last forever, maybe she wouldn't be willing to give up her humanity to be with him but he knew that they at least had a few happy years ahead of them.

Now he had taken her out a few times and he watched her walk into her father's house after they exchanged yet another sweet and romantic kiss. Every single one of her kisses so far had made him feel like he was special, lucky. He liked that he was acting more human than he used to, that he felt more human too.

He had to admit, Esmee had something to do with this too. She was acting very motherly and offered the affection and guidance that his brother and he had missed since the passing of their mother when they were children.

When he got back to the boarding house that night, Damon kissed Esmee on the cheek and whispered "Goodnight mom" before going to bed. She wasn't his biological mother but she was a mother willing to love them, to keep up with him. He didn't see Esmee watching him go up to his room with tears of joy stuck in her eyes. She had the big family she always dreamed of.

.

Caroline had just gotten off the phone with her mother and she knew that Bella, who was right in front of her, had just had the same conversation with her father.

"What's going on, girls?" Kol asked when he walked in the room to see them both staring at each other, cell phone in hand and big smiles on their faces.

"It's happening! Oh I'm so happy!" Caroline squealed as she jumped up and down and clapping her hands.

"Her mother is coming home in a few days to pack up everything and deal with some paperwork before she leaves and goes to live in Forks permanently with my father!" Bella explained, joy evident in her voice.

"What will happen with Caroline? You can't stay alone dear!" Esmee exclaimed.

She had come over with Carlisle to check on Rosalie and was supposed to meet up with Jenna and go to the decoration store together.

"I can stay on my own, I can take care of myself." Caroline assured her with confidence.

"Are you sure honey? Maybe you should move in with one of us." Jenna asked.

She, too, had come to the Swan house to spend some time with Esmee, whose presence she liked. They had both grown very close.

"Bella is on her own and perfectly fine. I'll be fine too, don't worry." Caroline repeated before she grabbed Kol's hand and dragged him back to her house where they would be alone to have to hot sex.

Before they left the house Bella asked:

"What about your father?" After all, the man was still alive and should get custody of his daughter.

"Oh, I forgot about him. Well, we'll see won't we?" Caroline shrugged her shoulders before running out with her boyfriend.

Bella took a minute to think about this 'Bella is on her own.' thing. She hadn't been on her own for a while. She was happy for it of course but Caroline would really be alone. It's not like another entire family of supernatural beings would come in town and seek refuge in her house anytime soon, Right?

.

Jenna was happy.

Not only life with her boyfriend Alaric was perfect but ever since they had introduced her to the supernatural world, she felt more in her place. She had found pretty good friends in Sage, Rosalie and Esmee. She was glad that Jeremy and Elena had people watching over them and it was nice to know people stronger than any humans had powers to protect her in case of problems.

Of course she worried that Jeremy might choose to spend forever with Anna and become a vampire but really, who was she to bet against love? She had always known love to be the most powerful thing in this world and she was confident that they would find a solution so that Stefan and Elena and Anna and Jeremy could be happy together.

.

They were all having fun at the Boarding house around a big dinner when Tyler Lockwood asked the question that was bothering him:

"So Klaus, when are you going to break this curse? It's been a while since you got to town and the full moon came and left."

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up at Klaus:

"Truth be told, I haven't thought about this for a while. I wanted to break it so I could have a family and protect us from Mickeal and Esther but now I don't really need it anymore." he replied honestly, looking mainly at Bella.

"It's just that my uncle Mason… I know he was kind of hoping for it to happen soon." Tyler explained.

"Elena would have to die!" Stefan snapped.

"Actually I have found a recipe for a potion that would allow her to come back to life afterward, as long as she willingly gives her life." Bella added quickly.

"I don't like this much." Jenna frowned.

"If we can capture Katherine I can call on my ancestor's family and with enough strength make her human again long enough for her to be the sacrifice. After that Elena would just have to donate a bit of blood to change werewolves into hybrids." Bella explained.

She had researched the situation a lot since the Mickealson had become their friends.

"We won't be able to catch Katherine before she and Alice decide to attack and it would be best if we had a few hybrids on our side before then." Jeremy said, surprising everyone.

"Jeremy is right and I trust Bella. If she says she has a way for me to survive I believe her and am willing to take the risk." Elena declared.

"Elena…" Stefan started but she cut him off:

"Stefan, Alice and Katherine are running on crazy and we know that they won't come back alone to face us. I want my family and my friends safe!" She replied.

Everyone stayed silent for a while before Jasper added:

"The next full moon is in a few days."

"We have a lot to do before then. We need a vampire and werewolf sacrifices." Rebekah added thoughtfully.

"Mason told me he actually had someone in mind for the werewolf sacrifice." Tyler told them.

When he saw everyone's questioning eyes on him, he kept going:

"It's a woman named Jules who loves to kill during full moons. She positions herself close to campers and enjoys killing them, making a massacre out of it. She refuses to change her ways and he says that she has developed a taste for killing even when the moon isn't full."

"Well, all we need is our vampire then, and something tells me it's not going to be very hard to find." Damon nodded.

"I can't believe it, it must be karma or something. I spend over a thousand years trying to break a curse and when I give up happily, everyone tries to help me break it." Klaus whispered, shaking his head.

"Also Bonnie will have to do the ritual. Her kind of witch did the spell, her kind of witch has to break it, it's a rule." Bella added.

"I don't know if I'm strong enough." Bonnie shook her head.

"I know a man, Jonas Martin. He is a warlock of your kind and has a daughter and a son. They owe me one so I'll call them and ask them to come and help." Elijah offered.

Soon, they were discussing the specifics of the curse. Bella called Rosalie, who was still home with Emmett, Finn and Sage and asked her the list of ingredients necessary. She had written it down in her bedroom and soon, Jasper and Stefan left to get the different and rarest ingredients.

She wished she could lift it herself, to be the one who gave this to Klaus but she couldn't. She had tried to cast on him the spell that broke other spells but it hadn't worked on this one.

.

While everyone was getting ready for the ritual that would happen in a few days, Carlisle had taken complete residence in Rosalie's room and would stay there until the baby was ready to be born.

Everyone was nervous and excited to see this baby arrive, especially the other vampire females. Some of them were even considering asking Bella to perform the same spell on them, or a similar one.

.

Bella had finished working and the first few chapters of Bianca's book and Elijah was now taking her to meet his editor friend. She had taken the old journal with her along with her work and was nervous. Elijah did his best to calm her down and it worked pretty well until they stood in the office of the editor.

As it turned out, the editor absolutely loved the idea of a book about history from a woman's point of view and when Bella told her about all the journals she had that belonged to her ancestors, he brought up the idea of a series of books. Of course it would mean more work from Bella but after graduation, she would have the time to work on it. Plus, now she knew Elijah would be by her side, helping her all along the way.

"See, I told you everything would be alright." Elijah told her once they were back in the car.

"Thank you Elijah, none of this would have happened if it wasn't for you. You're a good friend." She told him with a big happy smile.

"You're welcome Bella. It was your idea and it was a great one. You did everything, I only offered you my support." He replied.

"I'm not only thanking you about this book, I'm also thanking you for everything. By coming into my life you gave me the family I've always dreamed of and I wouldn't have met Klaus without you. I'll always owe you for this." She told him sincerely.

She wanted him to know just how much she appreciated everything he had done for her.

"You're welcome Bella but you have to know that you also changed my family when you came into my life. I think it was simply meant to be." He replied, driving her right back home because he knew that she had something special planned for Klaus.

.

As soon as she arrived back home, Bella went in her bedroom to put her book away and didn't waste a minute before she headed for her magic room, where she put the finishing touches on a very special crystal she had been working on for a while. She had had to order a special crystal that came from far away but she had managed to get it and was now ready to surprise Klaus with the one thing he didn't have and lacked in his life.

"Klaus, can you join me in here for a moment please?" She called out, knowing that he wasn't far and that he'd be more than happy to help her.

"What is it?" He asked her from the doorway.

"Come inside the magic room and close the door please, this is important." She replied and he did just as he asked, coming to stand right in front of her.

"What can I do for you?"

"Do you trust me?" She asked him.

"You know I do." He nodded with a charming smile on his face.

"I need you to put a drop of your blood on the tip of this crystal." She asked him and without stopping to think about the why, he did it.

Immediately, the crystal started to glow with a pure white light, making Bella smile.

"It worked." She whispered.

"I'm not surprised, Bella. Everything you do works. What is it? What does it do?" He asked her.

"It's a very special surprise for you Klaus." She replied.

"For me?" He asked her, surprised.

"Yes." She nodded.

"What does it do?" he asked her after she placed the crystal in his hand.

"I'm ready Klaus, ready for us to be together but I know that you have insecurities. I wanted to find a way to help you with them and this crystal will help you with that." She explained.

"So it eats up the insecurities?" He asked her, doubtful but obviously happy that she was ready to be his.

"No!" She chuckled along with him before she kept going:

"It will allow you to see and speak to a very special person for as long as you want, anytime you hold this crystal in you left hand. This person will not be physically here, it will be like when I call for my ancestors except you won't need a spell or a specific place to do it. And everyone else around you will be able to see this person." She explained.

"That's… That's great magic Bella but who is this person?" Klaus asked her.

"Your father." She replied.

"How is speaking to Mickeal going to help me dealing with my insecurities?" Klaus frowned, starting to doubt Bella's idea.

"Mickeal wasn't your father Klaus. He was only your step-father." Bella replied before she kissed Klaus on the lips, blessed the crystal and left the room, telling him that nobody would disturb him until he left this room, with or without the crystal.

"That's quite a woman you found, son." A tall man spoke from behind Klaus.

Of course Klaus recognized him. He had seen him only once but had made sure to imprint the memory of what he looked like in his brain forever. His tattoos, the shape of his face, his lips, his eyes. It was him.

"Ansel?" Klaus asked, taking a step back in shock.

"It's me son. It's good to know that you can finally see me back." Ansel replied.

"What do you mean by see you back?" Klaus frowned, he didn't understand.

"Well, apart from the many times when your mother magically kept me away from you when you were a child, I haven't left your side since I died Klaus."

"You haven't?"

"Of course not. You're my son and I was denied of a lifetime with you. When Forever was offered to me, watching you from the other side, I took it. I don't know if it was a reward because I could see you or a punishment because I couldn't talk to you or touch you but I was there every step of the way, son." Ansel assured him.

"I don't know what to say." Klaus shook his head.

"Then let me start. I love you Niklaus. Always have, forever will. I've always wanted you in my life, I had a place prepared for you in my village, in my pack. You were going to be my heir and rule them. They all knew about you, too. I'm so proud of you, of the man you've become. I know that you feel very bad about what you've done in the past but you need to learn to leave the past where it belongs: the past. Who you were was because of what Esther and Mickeal did to you, it wasn't your fault. You survived and that's what's important." Ansel told Klaus.

"Why did Mickeal kill you that night?" Klaus asked his father.

"Because I was coming to get you, of course. I had gathered my best warriors and we were all coming to get you before your mother placed the curse on you but they were ready for us… She lied to me you know. Esther swore to me that you'd be happy and that as soon as you triggered your curse, she'd let you come into my life but she did everything to prevent you from triggering it and when you finally did, she tried to undo it." Ansel shook his head.

"I think we have a lot to talk about, dad." Klaus smiled, sitting down on the couch that was in Bella's magic room.

His father smiled, sat in front of him and they started to talk about everything and anything they wanted. Klaus must have been in the magic room for over 6 hours before he left it, the crystal still in his left hand.

"I'll work on something to make it work as a necklace later." Bella promised as soon as Klaus entered the room with Ansel.

Of course everyone had been warned by Bella about what was going on and while the Mickealson's greeted their brother's father, Klaus rushed to kiss Bella passionately on the lips, letting her know just how much he loved her and how much he appreciated what she had done for him.

"It's too bad you can't just bring him back." Kol told Bella.

"I know, but life magic has a price: A life for a life. I don't particularly feel good about sacrificing anyone. I mean, if I had found out about this before I killed Mickeal, then I would have been okay trading one for the other, it would only have been fair but now…" Bella explained.

"I'd rather no one died for me." Ansel nodded.

"Well, at least you can talk and see each other, that's better than nothing." Elijah declared.

"It's more than I could have ever asked for." Klaus replied and they could all see that something had changed in him.

There was a new light in his eyes and they knew that it had little to do with Bella agreeing to be his girlfriend and more to do with his father telling him that he had always loved him, wanted him and that he was proud of him. Somehow Bella, who knew Klaus for the most little amount of time, had known what Klaus needed when his siblings hadn't been able to guess it or give it to him. She had managed to help Klaus change, relax and be happier only by letting him know that his true father had always loved him and had always wanted him in his life.

* * *

 **The part with Ansel is definitely something new. Do you like it?**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	15. Chapter 15

_Chapter 15 :_

The days passed by in a blur and soon, it was the morning of the ritual to break Klaus' curse.

Mason had arrived in town the night before with several of his friends who wanted to become hybrids and the werewolf female that was now sedated in the Swan's basement, in one of the supernatural prisons her family had perfected over the years and that had been tested by Emmett and the Originals.

Damon and Rebekah went hunting and came back with a vampire for the sacrifice who had just killed voluntarily a pregnant woman who was innocent and had never done anything wrong in her life. They had brought the woman to the hospital just in time for Carlisle to save the baby's life.

Elijah's witch friends arrived the night before as well and Caroline welcomed them in her house, seeing as she had the free space and they needed a place to stay. The father came with his son and daughter and they were surprised to see Bella. They immediately felt her power and Bella blushed when the father, Jonas Martin, bowed slightly to her, treating her like she was some kind of royalty. He had heard of the prophecy concerning her and believed that she was going to be the most powerful witch of all times. He was a smart man and knew it was best to keep her on his side. It was self preservation, he or his children might need her some day.

.

Bella was done putting the finishing touches to the potion that would bring Elena back to life after the sacrifice and just as she was about to go back in the kitchen to prepare some lunch, she heard Rosalie cry out in her room. Just like everyone else in the house she rushed to see that Rosalie was giving birth.

Carlisle was standing above her and her belly was opened in two. Apparently, Rosalie was on morphine but her lack of pain might be also due to Jasper holding her hand tightly with a concentrated look on his face.

Bella wondered vaguely why the smell of blood didn't bother her or make her faint but she decided to ignore that question. Since everyone was in the house at the moment, most of them waited in the corridor but Bella entered the room and saw Emmett looking worried on the other side. She went to join him and held his hand as she, too, watched her sister giving birth to her niece.

There was a lot of blood and it wasn't easy for anybody but eventually, the baby was out and Bella went to hold her niece while Emmett rushed to help Carlisle change Rosalie back.

"Is she okay?" Klaus asked Bella with his eyes on the baby, wondering how someone so small could have been in such a large belly.

"She's perfectly fine. I can feel it too, she's a Swan witch." Bella smiled at her boyfriend.

"I thought you were supposed to be the last Swan witch?" Jonas Martin asked from the corridor as Bella stepped out to show them the new comer.

"I'm the last Swan matriarch, not the last of the line. My grandmother was pretty vague about this but I think that's what she had in mind. I'm not going to be the last of the line, but the last very powerful one. Probably because I'm going to be around forever, so my Matriarchal power won't pass on to anybody else, I'll just keep it." Bella replied softly as she let Klaus wrap his arms around her.

.

Soon, Rosalie was changing again and Emmett left her side long enough for Esmee, Jenna and Sage to clean her up and change her into something clean. He used the time to check on the baby girl.

"How are you going to name her?" Bella asked him softly.

"We decided on naming her Isabelle Esmee Cullen." Emmett informed her, smiling softly at Bella who looked surprised.

"Isabelle?" she asked surprised.

"Yes, Rosalie wanted your family to be represented in her name, we looked through the diaries and ended up deciding that your grandmother, and you, were the ones we wanted to name her after. Rosalie liked the name _Bianca_ but I didn't want my daughter to be named after a courtesan... Not that she was a bad woman, it's just... You know..." He told her.

"Well, I'm touched. It's an honor Emmett." Bella replied softly before she went to give him a hug.

"Thanks for taking care of her while Rose is changing, I don't know if I would do a good job at it right now, I'm too nervous." Emmett told her.

"Don't worry, I'm more than happy to watch over my niece. Klaus is considering postponing the ritual until next month too. He doesn't want to take the focus away from Isabelle's birth."

"He shouldn't, he needs to break the curse. I will feel better with hybrids protecting my daughter." Emmett replied before he kissed his baby's forehead and rushed upstairs to be with his wife.

Meanwhile, Bella stayed downstairs with the newest Swan and Klaus went to sit with her.

"You heard him?" Bella asked.

"Yes, he's right of course. You'll stay here right?"

"Yes, I can't leave her alone right now. You're not mad that I won't be there when you break your curse, are you?" She asked him.

"Don't worry, your place is right here, I'll be fine. Especially since I know that Ansel will be right by my side the entire time." Klaus replied with a smile before he kissed Bella quickly.

They relationship was still very new and Bella still blushed every time Klaus touched her or kissed her and he loved it.

"I will be by your side too, brother. I helped Mother place this curse on you, I'll be with you to make sure nobody interrupts it." Elijah promised.

He couldn't control the feeling that rose in his chest. He wanted this. He wanted someone to love him the way Klaus loved Bella and someone he could love the way Bella loved Klaus. He wanted true devotion and loyalty and trust and love. He wanted a baby, a family. Bella seemed sure that he'd get it the last time they had talked, she had told him that everything was possible as long as you believed in it but was she right? Did she really know something or was she simply being an optimist?

.

The rest of the day went by pretty fast. The baby girl was very bright and grew up fast, but Bella knew it would happen already and had warned them so none of them were very surprised. She took baby Isabelle to see her mother several times a day and made sure to keep her entertained.

Before he left to do the ritual, Klaus kissed Bella, told her he loved her and made sure Sage and Finn were still around in case something was to happen. Elijah followed behind Klaus, kissing Bella on the forehead only and when he went to kiss the baby, she giggled, making them all smile.

"You should have shaved Elijah, you probably tickled her without realizing it." Klaus teased him.

"I did shave!" Elijah frowned, wondering why it felt like the baby girl was following him with her eyes.

"Maybe she just likes you." Bella smiled.

.

When Klaus arrived on the site where the curse would be broken, everything was ready. The three Martins and Bonnie were ready to perform it, the werewolf and the vampires were trapped into circles of fire and Elena was safely waiting for her turn in Stefan's arms. Kol, Rebekah, Anna, Jasper and Damon were patrolling around. They wanted to make sure nobody would interrupt the ceremony. As soon as he arrived, Elijah joined them.

.

In his cave, Mason was happy.

If everything went well, this would be the last time he and his friends went through the transformation. Soon, he would be able to change at will. They were all trapped in the caves under his brother's property. Bella had spelled it so they wouldn't be able to get out in their wolf forms and so they wouldn't arm each others. They would spend the whole night sitting around and howling without fighting or doing anything else. Maybe he should have come back to town earlier, it seemed like it would have made his life much easier.

If Bella hadn't already been in a relationship with his future sire, Mason would have tried to have a date with her. According to what he knew about her already, she was perfect. She was the kind of woman worth starting a war over.

.

Everything went according to plans and when the moon was high and full, Klaus became a wolf for the first time since his first time. The freedom he felt was a strong feeling that took him over. Unlike a normal werewolf, he was in complete control of what he was doing and found himself running all night around the Swan house, listening to Bella's heartbeat. What Bella didn't tell him, was that she had made a few changes in the spell so that, in his wolf form, Klaus would be able to see spirits from the other side, namely Ansel, without having to hold the crystal she had enchanted for him, meaning that his father ran with him for the entire night, as it should have been a thousand years ago. When he finally shifted back, Kol was waiting for him with fresh clothes that smelled of lavender, letting him know that they had been washed by Bella.

"How was it?" The younger male asked.

"It was… freeing!" Klaus replied with a bright smile on his face.

"Well, why don't you go take a shower, Elena woke up a couple of hours ago and Carlisle is taking another blood bag from her." Kol replied.

Indeed, ever since they decided to do the ritual, Elena had been giving one blood bag a day so they could make hybrids if she had trouble waking up or something.

"Did anything happen last night?" Klaus asked as they made their way to the house.

"No, nothing. Bella said Isabelle fell asleep late. According to what she said, it looks like she only fell asleep once Elijah came back in the house with the news that everything went well."

"Weird." Klaus replied, wondering if this baby girl could be somehow destined to have something with his big brother.

As soon as he stepped inside, Rebekah welcomed him with a wide awake Isabelle in her arms.

"Hey there princess! Why isn't she with Bella?" He finished saying to his sister.

"Bella is asleep. She stayed up late with her, waiting to hear about your ritual." His sister replied while the baby girl seemed to be searching for someone.

"I think she's looking for someone but I don't know who it is." Sage said from behind Rebekah.

"You should try to get her to Elijah." Klaus suggested.

"Why? You think he's the one she's looking for?" Rebekah asked him.

"It's just a hunch." Klaus shrugged his shoulders before warning them that he was going to take a shower.

Before he went into the bedroom he was sharing with Elijah, Klaus climbed the extra set of stairs and watched as Bella slept. With a smile, he kissed her forehead, whispering "I'm back, everything is fine."

"Good, you should shower." Bella replied in her sleep, making Klaus chuckle.

Klaus learned that other people had heard her when Emmett and Kol laughed from their spot in the house. Kissing her one more time and letting her sleep, he went to shower.

.

The two days until Rosalie woke up were long for everyone.

Even if they all went back to their lives, they all visited the Swan house at some point of the day to see how everything was going. Carlisle and Esmee took care of the baby girl while Emmett watched over his wife and Bella was in school. Sage had accepted the job of history teacher and was also at school with everyone else.

Elijah wanted to be there for the baby, just like the baby seemed to want him to be but he was afraid. What did it mean? Why did he want to be near her so badly? Why was he sad when she cried and at peace when she was sleeping, dreaming or simply happy? Did this have anything to do with Bella's belief that he'd find happiness? Could this baby be his mate or something like this? Wasn't this wrong?

"Don't over think it, Mate." Emmett told him as he walked past him with Isabelle in his arms.

"I just… I don't understand what's going on." Elijah replied.

"You'll probably get it in time. Just follow you instinct. I mean, as long as your instinct doesn't tell you to kill my baby, if it does, then don't listen to it." Emmett replied, placing his daughter in Elijah's arms before he went back with Rosalie.

.

Alaric had accepted the permanent sheriff job and loved it. The council had trusted him with not only the vampire hunting but the safety of a whole town. He loved his new job and he loved protecting people. Plus, Jenna loved a man in uniform, she loved to take him out of the uniform too.

.

When Rosalie finally woke up as a Cold one, she already had golden eyes and Bella told her she made sure she would keep the control she had before so she could be near her daughter without any problems.

The reunion between mother and daughter was sweet and full of emotions. They made sure it was also a private moment between Rosalie, her daughter and her husband.

As it turned out, Rosalie kept her witch powers, just like Bella had said would happen.

They talked a while about having a _Wiccaning_ for the baby and they decided they would do it in a few weeks, once everything has settled down.

"Do you think she has any powers yet?" Rosalie asked Bella.

"I don't know. She surely has them but she hasn't used them yet. At least not that we know." Bella replied.

"Hum guys? Isabelle is getting impatient over here." Jasper called out as they all rushed to see baby Isabelle frowning at Elijah.

"I know you're trying to say something Sweetheart but I don't understand baby talk, I'm sorry!" A very distressed Elijah was saying to the baby he was holding.

She had tears in her eyes and his very first instinct was to make her happy, to give her what she wanted and he didn't know what to do and had tears forming in his own eyes.

"Maybe we could cast a spell so she can tell us what's on her mind?" Bella told Rosalie.

"Okay, do it!" Rosalie agreed.

"Why don't you do it Rose? After all, you can use your Swan powers too." Bella suggested softly.

Rosalie nodded and rushed upstairs to look in the Book of Shadows. She came back with a flamed candle and recited:

" _As flame lights shadows and truth ends fear, open my daughter's thoughts to my mind's willing ears. May the smoke from this candle into everywhere creep, bringing innermost voices to mind and speech._ "

As soon as Rosalie had said that, she could feel her daughter's mind opening to her:

"Mom, I saw mean women coming to attack us. They are named Alice and Katherine. They have a lot of bad people with them, I'm scared! They want to hurt my aunty Bella and her Klaus and my Elijah! They will be here in less than 2 weeks."

"It's okay Isabelle, we'll take care of it princess." Rosalie told the worried baby softly as she smiled and put her small head on Elijah's chest.

"What's going on?" Klaus asked.

"She has the power of premonition. She saw Alice and Katherine coming in less than 2 weeks along with lots of people." Rosalie replied angrily.

"Something tells me they aren't coming to have a tea party." Kol sighted.

"Oh I don't know, Alice loves a good Tea Party." Emmett tried to joke to lighten the mood.

"Apparently Bella, Klaus and Elijah are the main targets." Rosalie said.

"How do you know?" Elijah asked.

"Isabelle told me so, though she did say _'my aunty Bella and her Klaus and **my** Elijah.'_ " The mother replied as she rolled her eyes.

"Oh, so you're _Her_ Elijah now, and here I thought you were a free man." Finn added in a joking tone.

"We belong to each other apparently." Elijah replied thoughtfully, finally accepting their bond, whatever it was.

The girl was a few days old and he was already whipped. He would do anything for her and was grateful to Klaus for having dedicated 5 of his new hybrids to Isabelle's protection.

"What do we do?" Bonnie asked.

"We get ready. We warn the council and load on weapons. I'm going to call Sam and ask him if a couple of member of his pack would like to fight with us, I think I know them enough to know we will get a few warriors there. These boys love a good fight and as long as they have somewhere to stay and food, they'll be happy." Bella decided.

"We prepare potions too." Rosalie added.

"And we prepare protection spells to put on the town. The council can assemble everyone in one place with a town meeting of some sort so it makes it easier for us to protect." Bella added.

"I can have a few hybrids protecting the town too." Klaus offered.

"You don't have many of them, we might need them to fight." Carlisle argued.

"What about Isabelle? I want her safe." Elijah spoke, feeling like he had stolen Emmett's line.

"I'm going to have to stay out of it to protect her, I will be able to freeze anyone who comes at us. I'll just stay with the council. A couple of hybrids will do." Rosalie decided.

"I've been in touch with other werewolves who would like the opportunity to become a hybrid, 10 of them are on their way." Mason informed them from his spot in the doorway.

He had initially come to share this information with Klaus and had apparently stumbled on a family meeting, a very important one.

.

And so the preparations began.

Carlisle mentioned calling the Volturi in but they all agreed it would be a bad idea, they were power crazy and would be capable of joining forces with Alice just to be able to manipulate Bella into working for them. Nobody wanted that.

However, he managed to call a few of his friends and the Denali clan agreed to help. He warned Bella that Laurent was among them but she assured him she wouldn't arm him as long as he didn't hurt any of the people she loved (that list seemed to be growing every day).

Caroline called her mother and Charlie, informing them of what was going on and that it was best if they stayed in Forks until further notice. They agreed it would be best but didn't hide their worry. Caroline assured them everything would be fine and that they would call back soon with updates. Liz and Charlie relished in the fact their daughters could take care of themselves and weren't alone but together.

Bella called Sam and told him what was coming. She said they weren't sure what was going to attack them exactly but that they could use a hand. Of course the pack was more than happy to help. They didn't get much action around Forks and always welcomed killing Cold Ones or other bad supernatural creatures. Sam told her he would leave Jacob and the three youngest in town for patrol and protection while the rest of them would come. Bella promised them they would have a place to stay and that they would be fed for the trouble they went through to help her. After discussion, it was agreed that the pack would stay mainly at the Boarding house with a few of them at the Gilberts.

The Martins also decided to stay in town and help. They wanted to be on Bella's good side and she decided they would be part of the team protecting the town. Linked together, they were very powerful and they would be able to keep the town safe, especially if Rosalie was there too.

All in all, Bella was pretty confident they would make it. She had memorized a few spells to take care of creatures she wouldn't be able to blast and knew everything would be fine. Of course Klaus tried to argue with her that it would be best if she stayed out of the action but she managed to convince him she was capable of taking care of herself.

"I wish I was able to join you and fight son." Ansel told Klaus one evening.

"I know but I'm glad you're safe on the other side." He replied.

"Safe? That's one way to look at it." Ansel chuckled.

"I think that Bella is looking for ways to bring you back." Klaus confessed.

"Don't worry, she won't do it if it puts her in danger. She's just informing herself. I'm keeping an eye on her." Ansel reassured his son.

"Good, I don't want her to compromise who she is for me. She's perfect just the way she is." Klaus replied, making his father smile pride fully.

.

The next two weeks went by very fast and they were all more than ready. Rumor of a hybrid being in Mystic Falls had brought several werewolves to Klaus and he now had a little over 40 hybrids ready to fight in his name.

Sam and 6 wolves (Paul, Jared, Quill, Embry, Leah and Seth.) arrived a couple of days before the battle. As soon as they were introduced to everyone, Leah imprinted on Mason Lockwood and he took her back to the Lockwood mansion so they could get to know each other in a quiet place until the battle began. He knew he would go back to Forks with her when this was all over. There, they'd get her things and they'd be able to move back to his family home, she was more than happy to leave La Push anyway.

Damon called Enzo and asked him if he could come and help them. Of course his friend agreed and came here quickly. He was happy for the company and more than happy to get some action.

The Denali also arrived about the same time as the pack and were hosted at the Swan house. It was a good thing not everyone needed to sleep because things would be very uncomfortable.

The three sisters were especially envious of Rosalie and found a moment to ask Bella if it would be possible for them to have the same experience. Bella told them that she could, but that they'd have to find a willing human to welcome them in their bloodlines. They all decided to wait a while until they found the right person and thanked Bella, happy to know that they now had the possibility to have children.

.

Alice and Katherine were really happy and pretty sure they would win this time. In less than 20 hours they would arrive in Mystic Falls and everything was ready. Edward and Rose were even rounding and manipulating their little army into getting ready for them. All they had to do is give the orders and things were almost doing themselves.

They had vampires and Cold Ones, changed by Alice and Katherine only so that they could have some kind of control over them. Somehow word got around that they were going after Bella, the powerful Swan witch and a couple of demons joined them in their quest, hoping to get some glory in it to get higher in the hell hierarchy.

"We're almost there Kat, I can almost touch the thrown." Alice whispered with excitement evident in her voice.

"Good, then we'll both get what we want and we'll have our happily ever after." Katherine replied as they both watched their creations marching through the forest like an army, rendered invisible temporarily by a witch they managed to get on their side.

.

Isabelle was now big enough to talk and when she got a vision telling them where and when the attack would take place, she told her mother and Elijah so they could organize themselves.

The council had organized a big party in the town's hall and most of the town was planning on going. That left the others free to meet the attackers' midway, away from the town and attack in a clearing in the woods, away from witnesses.

To ensure that nobody would go to the woods, word had been passed in town by mayor Lockwood that a wild and very dangerous animal was in there and that they had hunters looking for it, that it was dangerous to go anywhere near the woods until it was all sorted out. Nobody wanted to get accidentally shot by a hunter and so people stayed away, planning on going to the town's party instead or simply on staying home.

Carlisle had asked if they weren't in danger of Alice discovering their plans but Bella told him she had shielded them from her sight a long time ago. Alice was completely blind to everything they decided, even if they took these decisions out of Bella's family home.

.

When the time came, they were ready. Everyone was spread out in the clearing, waiting for the attack. Klaus was close to Bella, determined to have her do the least fighting possible and to protect her.

"They're here." Jasper declared.

He could already see them, marching silently. He should have been able to see them earlier but he figured that Alice or Katherine had probably found someone to protect them with a temporary invisible spell.

"They have wooden stakes." Carlisle warned the vampires around him.

"Not for long." Bella replied with a smirk that rivaled with Damon's and Klaus'.

As soon as the enemies entered the clearing she recited:

" _They_ _have no right, they have no power, turn their hate sticks into flowers._ " It was a spell that had been used by a friend of her grandmother during their "peace and love" days.

Immediately, all the wooden stakes turned into sunflowers. It shocked every one of them and they stopped their attack for a while before Alice and Katherine, holding each other's hand behind them all yelled:

"What are you waiting for? Fight!"

The army listened and jumped in a fight they wouldn't win. Bella saw a couple of them flee the fight but Alice caught them and they were killed immediately. Apparently, she had a no deserting policy in her army.

Carlisle and Esmee were surrounding Edward.

"Edward son, don't force us to do this. Come back to us!" Carlisle pleaded.

"You're in the wrong. Alice saw it. You know better than to bet against Alice Carlisle!" Edward warned before he jumped on Esmee and tried to pull her head off.

Carlisle immediately engaged the battle with his son. Edward might have been his first companion, his best friend, his brother and his son, he had done the mistake of going after Esmee, it was a grave mistake he would pay with his life. Carlisle wouldn't let that pass.

Rose had just been bitten by a hybrid and could feel the venom burning in her when a huge (the size of a bear) wolf jumped on her and killed her, beheading her.

Bella found herself face to face with a demon she had seen in the Book of Shadow. She had just blasted his arm off but it healed very quickly, helping her identify him as one that couldn't be vanquished, not by killing him at least.

'Not as strong as you thought you were, are you Swan?" He asked her.

"Don't worry, I came prepared! _Changing seasons changes all, life renews as creation calls, nothing is immune, everything transmutes, take this demon and give him roots._ "

Time stopped for a while and Alice's army got scared when the demon that looked so powerful and mean was changed into a tree in the middle of this clearing.

"Nice job, love!" Klaus yelled at Bella as he fought two newborns Cold Ones at once, in full hybrid mode.

Bella blasted a few more Cold Ones into pieces and threw a few potions around her before she found herself with both Alice and Katherine surrounding her. She looked around but everyone else was busy.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? Now Bella, you know better than to try and hurt one of us. It would only get you killed faster by the other. What could you possibly do?" Alice told her in a mocking tone.

"I see the bitch club had a meeting today. What was the goal of the day?" Bella asked, trying to make them believe she was scared when really she knew she would be fine.

"Kill the witch!" Katherine replied with a smile.

"Really? How do you plan on doing this?" Bella saw they were about to reply and didn't wait to hear their answer she immediately muttered:

" _Let those two girls, quick as sneeze, stop this snit and quickly freeze._ "

She had time to see Katherine and Alice looking angrily at her before they froze, their faces stuck in a very un-lady like grimace.

"Now, didn't your parents ever teach you that it wasn't nice to grimace to other people? I mean, what if you got stuck like that?" Bella smirked, enjoying herself before she went back to the fight.

Bella turned around and blasted a few more vampires before the fighting around her calmed down. The La Push wolves had started a fire and were throwing pieces of enemies into it. It took Bella a while to realize the fire had been started on the demon-tree she had created. Maybe this would kill it after all, but he might heal and grow back. Oh well, who cared. Now it was just a tree and the only danger would come if he started to grow poisoned fruits.

She sighted sadly when she realized Carlisle was holding Edward's head in a firm grip.

"It's your last chance Edward. Please consider it." The good doctor pleaded again with tears that would never shed visible in his eyes.

"You can go to hell!" Edward screeched.

"You first." Carlisle whispered before he ripped his son's head off and let a wolf grab the pieces and put them into the fire.

Everyone was now done and while the wolves and the hybrids were looking for the last pieces of enemies to burn, everyone else assembled around Katherine and Alice. They were now able to move their eyes.

"Soon they'll be able to talk, I can't keep them frozen like this forever." Bella informed them.

Anna threw a fire potion at them both and they watched the flames cover the two friends, almost caressing them, leaving trails of burned flesh behind them.

"We should just kill them and get it over with, I want to go check on Isabelle and Rosalie." Emmett declared, Elijah nodding his agreement to that statement by his side.

The flames had disappeared and they were starting to heal already, Anna threw another fire potion, wanting to keep them as weak as possible.

"That's for my mother, Bitch!" Anna spat at Katherine.

"We can't give them a chance to escape. We need to kill them immediately." Damon added as Stefan nodded his agreement.

He had been cut on the right shoulder and was slowly healing. As she looked around, Bella saw that a lot of hybrids were also hurt but Carlisle was watching over them all one by one, making sure nobody was deadly injured. The good Doctor had gone first to the Shape-shifters, who healed much quicker than the others and had had to set a couple of bones, nothing more.

"You can kill us but how do you know we don't have a plan in case this happens?" Alice smirked.

"Great, now she can talk." Kate, one of the Denali, complained.

She had never liked Alice much and was now proven right.

The flames had stopped but they didn't have time to heal since Stefan threw a small exploding potion on them. They didn't explode because the potion wasn't very strong but they got injuries that would take several days to heal.

"Yes, you know me I always have a plan B, and a plan C, and a plan D… Well, you know the alphabet right? Oh hello lover!" Katherine replied, winking at Mason who just spat on her, making her only angrier.

She was trying to stay proud and to ignore her pain but it wasn't easy, especially since they were humiliating the two of them.

"I wasn't in my right mind when I dated you!" he growled.

"I see you found a new toy. Interesting, I never thought _that_ would be your type." The Petrova vampire smirked.

"I found love, something you never understood and probably never knew in your pathetic life." Mason spat back before holding a growling Leah closer to his side.

"Damon, I heard you aren't with Bella anymore, got tired of dating a frigid virgin, didn't you?" Alice asked Damon, making Bella blush and Klaus growl as his eyes glowed dangerously, his hybrid side fighting to come back out.

Jasper threw another exploding potion on them both. Just like the previous one, it gave them severe injuries.

"Say all you want, we know what's true and what isn't. You won't be able to play with our head anymore." Stefan assured them.

"The fact that Bella isn't a whore who opens her legs for the first male that comes around doesn't make her frigid, it makes her human." Rebekah spat, coming to the defense of the witch who had taken them in, given them a chance and had become their family in just a few weeks.

"Well, I was about to say something about Bella leaving me helping me grow up and teaching me a good lesson but I think they answered your question pretty well too." Damon replied with his trade mark smirk.

"If you free me I'll be very good to you Damon, I know you like power. I could make you my first lieutenant once I'm on the thrown." Alice tried.

"What thrown?" Klaus asked curiously.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Katherine winked.

"Enough! They are trying to gain time until the spell wears off and they can run away!" Bella snapped.

"Well, aren't you the smart one." Katherine frowned, looking Bella dead in the eyes.

Klaus put his arm around Bella's waist in a protective manner and brought her back against his chest. He needed to feel her close to him and safe, her presence only managed to calm his inside hybrid.

"Looks like our Bella here changed the Originals into a bunch of softies, what a waste." Alice told her 'sister' who giggled.

"I've had enough of this!" Rebekah exclaimed and went to put her hand through Katherine's chest.

Before she could pull her hand off with the heart in it, Katherine disappeared in a black cloud.

"That's black magic! A spell sent her somewhere specific." Bella exclaimed.

"Don't try to kill Alice, she would just disappear too!" She added when Kol went to rip Alice's head off.

"What do we do then?" Caroline asked.

"You do nothing." Alice smirked.

They all watched as she managed to move her arm into her own chest. It was obviously painful but she disappeared into the same cloud of black smoke as Katherine did.

For the next few minutes, it was only growls and injures directed at the two women who were gone.

"They won't come back anytime soon. They need some time to heal, they've been hurt pretty badly." Bella announced.

"From what I can tell we have a couple of weeks before we can start worrying." Carlisle nodded, reassuring everyone.

Klaus turned toward his hybrids and said:

"I'm offering a million dollars to whoever brings me one of them. Three millions if you bring them both. 10 millions if you bring them to me both dead!" Klaus half yelled in an angry tone.

Interest was obvious in all their eyes and they all nodded. Who would refuse that much money? Klaus knew that by doing this, he just got a lot of people ready to turn against them. Even Sam's pack was interested. That kind of money could do a lot of good to the reservation.

Since there was nothing else they could do, they left most of the hybrids and the pack to watch over the fire and make sure it didn't get out of hand and they all went back to the Swan house where they would prepare a big feast to feed everyone before they had to take the road and go back home.

Bella called her father quickly to let him know they were fine but that Alice and Katherine escaped so they needed to be careful. She had sent him a few potions, just in case and she wanted him to be prepared, to be able to defend himself if anything happened.

When they came back to her house, Rosalie and the others were already waiting. Rebekah had texted them as soon as the fight had been over. Isabelle immediately jumped out of her mother's arms and ran as fast as her small legs could carry her into her father's but she made sure to keep her small eyes on Elijah.

"I'm fine kiddo, don't worry." Elijah assured her before he kissed her on the cheek.

They explained what had happened and everyone was mad at the turn of events.

"What do we do now?" Rosalie asked.

"The same we always do. We keep on living our lives while we stay on our guards. We stay ready for anything that could happen." Bella replied in a determined tone as Klaus tightened his hold on her.

He'd protect her, he'd make sure she was safe and able to concentrate on her diploma instead of being constantly on the lookout for a potential danger.

* * *

 **What did you think?**

 **I see that the part with Ansel was pretty popular. You'll be happy to know that it's definitely not the last you've seen of him. I added a pretty important part about him in the last chapter, or what was, in the old version, the last chapter.**

 **Please take a moment to pray for the families of the victims of Paris' attacks. I'm french, i'm fine but I'm devastated by what happened. Keep the victims and their families in your prayers, please.**

 **Today i don't ask for reviews, I just ask you to think and pray for the victims and their families.**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	16. Chapter 16

_Chapter 16_

Alice and Katherine had reappeared in a house they had bought in Texas, just as planned in their escape plan. They were both deeply wounded and even with strong human blood, it would take them a while to get better and to be ready to fight for what they wanted.

"I guess we shouldn't complain about the injuries and be glad that spell worked out like we wanted!" Katherine spat bitterly.

"We'll be fine Kat. We'll get them. Don't worry." Alice told her as calmly as she could in a painful voice.

They had gotten this escaping spell from a dark witch they crossed path with a few days ago and traded some blood and venom for it. Apparently they had made the right decision.

They didn't know that, a few miles away from them, Peter, Jasper's old war friend, had been expecting them and was calling his friend:

"So, is that why you didn't come to join the fight? You wanted to check if your instinct was right?" Jasper asked him.

"I did, and I knew you'd be fine anyway." Peter replied.

"So, they're just in the house?"

"Yes, I don't think they're in any state to leave it anyway. I'd go and try to catch them for you but Alice knows my scent and I'd be found out. It'd be much better if you sent someone else." Peter warned Jasper.

"Thanks, the pack is about to leave, I'll warn them, give them the chance to earn this money." Jasper replied before they hung up and he called Klaus and Bella.

Bella warned Sam and Klaus warned his hybrids. Maybe Alice and Katherine would see them come and would escape but at least they were closer to getting them, they knew where to look.

.

In Mystic Falls, things had slowly gotten back to normal.

Most of the hybrids had left town and would be on the look-out for Katherine and Alice. The amount of money Klaus had put on their heads was not something any of them would frown upon, especially since they were going to live forever. Unfortunately, when they arrived in the house Peter had found in Texas, they realized that it was empty. There was an underground tunnel network under the house and even though they did their best to follow it, they didn't find the two evil women. Their scents stopped at a river and didn't pick up on the other side.

The pack had also left town, along with Mason who didn't want to be without Leah anymore, even for a short period of time.

However, they were going to La Push to pack Leah's things and they would be back soon. They had taken a lot of Liz's stuff with them and would be back with bags full of Leah's belongings. Indeed, the young woman had jumped on the opportunity to be away from Sam and Emily and start a new life, away from the memories of her past. She felt that Mystic Falls would be the right place for her and Richard had cleared one of the houses they owned for his baby brother. A new life was starting for the young woman and for the first time in a long time, she was happy. Mason never really enjoyed Mystic Fall's but for Leah, his love, he'd stay there.

.

More than ever, it was important to have a Wiccaning for Isabelle and Bella, who was the new matriarch, had to pick a date and learn the spell while Rosalie chose the dress the little girl would be wearing to be introduced to her ancestors and officially welcomed in the family. When she found the spell for the Wiccaning, Bella also found several protection spells to cast right before doing it to prevent attacks happening during the ceremony. Apparently, it was something that happened a lot and she even found trace, in her grandmother's journal, describing her own Wiccaning that had been attacked by 3 powerful demons, attracted by her promising powers and the prophecy that was attached to her.

When everything was ready, everyone assembled in the Garden. The magic room was too small to hold everyone and so Bella had done the necessary spells to have the ceremony in her garden, under the bright sun.

Bella stood behind the book and Rosalie, holding Isabelle in her arms, was by her side. Everyone else was a couple of steps behind, watching with pride and emotion. The Lockwood's were also present, along with all the Cullen's, Mickealson's, Salvatore, Gilbert's and Caroline, Bonnie, Anna. Even the Denali had stayed to witness the important moment of someone they considered a new member of their family.

Bella recited:

" _I call forth from space and time matriarchs from the Swan family line: mothers, daughters, sisters, friends. Our family spirit without an end, to gather now in this sacred place, and help us bring this child to grace._ "

As soon as she said that, the space before them filled with the spirits of the dead Swan Matriarchs. They could recognize some of the ones in the portraits around the house and they could see Isabelle, Bella's grandmother, among them.

Bella had tears in her eyes. It was the first time she saw her grandmother since she died and pride was evident in her eyes as she looked at her granddaughter and the family she had created lately. Bella saw, from the corner of her eyes, Stefan taking a step forward.

Shaking herself, she took her niece in her arms, faced the gathered spirits of her ancestors and recited what she had learnt from the ceremony handbook:

" _The next generation has been born into our family, our legacy. We pledge to be with this child. This beautiful girl always: Apart but never separate; free but never alone. She is one of us and because of that we will bless her with all of the goodness that we are. Welcome to the family Isabelle Esmee Swan Cullen._ " Bella stopped to kiss, like the ceremony demanded, the child on the cheek and added:

" _Blessed Be_."

Everyone in the room, both spirits, and living witches, along with vampires and human witnesses replied:

" _Blessed be_."

With one last smile to the three standing Swan witches (Bella, Rosalie and Isabelle), the spirits left.

"Goodbye!" Isabelle declared in her small child voice.

Bella chuckled between her tears. Seeing her grandmother had moved her and she was happy that Klaus was coming to wrap one of his arms around her shoulder.

Slowly, they all made their way to the dinning room for the big dinner that Esmee, Sage and Jenna had cooked for the occasion.

"We have a little announcement to make." Finn declared during dinner as he and Sage stood.

"Finn and I decided we wanted to travel. We'll be leaving after Bella's graduation and travel through the old continent for the next few years." Sage added.

"But who will teach us history next year? You rocked!" Jeremy protested.

"Yeah, you were one of the best." Tyler added.

"Thanks a lot people." Alaric complained with a smile, showing he was joking and not really mad.

"You were good too Ric." Elena replied softly.

"Yeah Ric, you were only good, but Sage rocked!" Damon joked as everyone rolled their eyes.

"I'm happy for you Sage, Finn. You two deserve some alone time." Bella smiled kindly.

"But we wanted to make sure, before we go, that you know we will always be there for you. We are not abandoning any of you and the minute any of you needs us we will be back." Finn assured them.

"We've found a house on the other side of town and it'll be renovated while we're away." Sage added.

"Well, this conversation in getting too emotional for me. Doesn't anyone have anything happy to say?" Damon asked, changing the subject.

"Why don't you bring something up, Damon?" Bella suggested, looking at him in slight annoyance.

"I'll have you know that I'm full of good ideas." Damon replied with his trademark smirk.

"Why don't you share them with us Damon?" Carole Lockwood suggested.

"Well, we've all worked a lot lately, I think we should have a party." Damon replied.

"A costumed party just for us!" Caroline squealed, clapping her hands a couple of times t show her enthusiasm toward this idea.

"Not really what I had in mind but why not." Damon replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"It's not a bad idea." Bella agreed.

"I ALWAYS have good ideas." Damon insisted.

"Except when you cheated on Bella with Rose, that was a pretty shitty move!" Anna muttered, bringing silence in the room.

Bonnie looked pretty uncomfortable and Damon looked about to pounce on Anna.

"Hum… This costumed party seems to be a good idea. When should we have it?" Carole asked, already planning in her head.

"How about tomorrow night?" Elena suggested, happy for the change of subject.

"Good." Carole nodded, taking a small note book out of her purse and taking notes already.

"How should I dress?" Caroline wondered.

"Can I go momma?" Isabelle asked in her childlike voice from her seat between her mother and Elijah.

"Of course you can sweetheart. What do you want to dress like?" Rosalie asked softly.

"I want to be a princess witch angel!" The little girl declared, sure of herself.

"You want to be a princess, a witch and an angel all at once?" Emmett asked.

"Yes, I do!" She replied.

"Then I guess we need to start working on something." Rosalie declared, trying to imagine how she would do it.

"You'll be the prettiest." Elijah assured the little girl, wanting nothing else than to please her.

"I don't really want to dress up." Stefan complained.

"You can't come as what you already are." Bella declared.

"You could dress up as a Cold One." Kol suggested.

"How do one dress up as a Cold One?" Stefan asked with a smile.

"You put glitter all over yourself!" Damon joked making Jasper, and the other Cold Ones in the room roll their eyes.

"Hey I wonder, do you sparkle like, all over? I mean really, really **all** over?" Caroline asked curiously.

"What do you mean?" Esmee asked.

"She wants to know if the dicks also sparkle!" Damon laughed.

"Language Damon!" Rosalie, Emmett, Bella and Elijah snapped in the same time.

"To answer your question Caroline, back when we did sparkle, before Bella put the curse on us, yes, we did sparkle _all_ over." Carlisle replied and if he could blush he would be blushing right now.

"That's interesting, like one giant diamond to please not only the eyes but also…" Caroline was cut off by Carole as Richard chuckled:

"Now Caroline, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to hear!"

"Yes, that would be best, especially with a child in the room" Elijah added with both hands covering Isabelle's ears.

"Or around Bella's virgin ears!" Kol chuckled as Bella blushed and Klaus glared at his little brother for making his love uncomfortable.

"Maybe we could use a spell to choose costumes for us." Bonnie suggested.

"Bonnie, doing magic to help others is one thing but the rules for magic done for your own profit are severe. It always backfires, one way or another." Bella explained.

"Didn't I see a spell to call for one of the Gods in the book? Maybe we could call him and see how it goes." Rosalie suggested.

"You want to call a God specialist in parties? From what I've read in the journals, an ancestor tried it a couple of centuries ago and it didn't work very well. The God used the opportunity to get new followers and created not a good party but an orgy that didn't have only good consequences." Bella explained, not hiding her shudder as she remembered the horror she read.

There had been a spell on the page and reading it had been like seeing it all, Bella didn't want this happening here, never!

"Oh…" Rosalie replied.

"Come on, we used to throw successful parties before we knew about magic, we don't need it for this." Jenna encouraged as she rolled her eyes.

Soon, the table was unset and while everyone got back to their activities, Carole, Esmee, Jenna, Caroline and Elena planned the party that would take place the next day at the Salvatore Boarding house. Everyone else was looking for a costume. Elijah was shopping with Rosalie and his future mate for her costume. He was dead set on giving her the Princess-witch-angel costume she wanted, even if he had to go through all the malls in the state for this.

.

Bella was in the attic, looking for something to make a costume in her ancestor's clothes that were stored in boxes and she didn't have any ideas. She turned around from an old dusty box when she heard the floor crack behind her.

"Klaus! What's going on?" She asked with a smile.

"I was wondering if you wanted to coordinate costume with me, I know we didn't have time to go out much or to really talk and… How do they call it these days…" Klaus started, searching in his memory for the expression he had heard on _Awkward_ as Rebekah watched it a few days ago.

"D.T.R?" Bella suggested with a small amused smile.

"Right, Define the relationship: D.T.R." Klaus nodded.

"Maybe we should do it before anything else happens." Bella suggested.

"You're right." Klaus nodded.

It was silent for a few minutes before Klaus admitted:

"I have no idea how to do this!"

Bella chuckled:

"How about we just say what we want."

"I want you to be mine, my girlfriend I guess, for now. But I want the serious kind of relationship, the kind where I get to compel all the guys who flirt with you." The hybrid replied honestly.

Bella blushed.

"I, I would love that too." She admitted as a soft blush slowly crept on her face.

"You know, I love it when you do that." He told her as he walked closer to her and slowly stroked her face.

He slightly shifted his hand and bent down so he could kiss her softly. Soon, Bella had her hand wrapped tightly around his neck and he had his hands on her hips. Their kiss was passionate and showed just how much they cared for each others.

When Klaus pulled back, Bella was out of breath and smiling. They both went to sit on the old couch in the corner. Bella hesitated for a second and sat on his lap as he brought his arms around her.

"So, now we should talk about our costumes for tomorrow." Klaus whispered softly in her ear before he kissed her neck, his breath tickling her.

"Did you have any ideas?" She asked him.

She was very comfortable in this position and didn't want to move, ever.

"Not really, I was thinking that I still have some clothes from the time I was posing as an Italian Lord around 1540, I figured I'd just wear this." He confessed.

"If you wear this I could wear one of the dresses I have left of Bianca, I know it's in the wood chest over there." She replied, pointing to a corner of the room.

"You want to dress as a courtesan?" He asked with surprise.

"I'm sure I'll still be over dressed compared to the others." Bella smiled.

"True, I think I'd like that." Klaus replied with a smile before he kissed her neck again.

And again.

And again.

Now Bella was straddling his lap and moaning while he kissed her lips, brushing his tongue hungrily against hers. Her hands were unbuttoning his shirt while he had his hand under hers, softly discovering the skin of her back and her stomach. Since he didn't want to rush her, he was careful not to take things too far and stopped his hands before they went too high or too low. He really enjoyed Bella's soft hands on his chest and couldn't help the low growl of pleasure that escaped him when she left his mouth a second to kiss his chest.

"God this feels good!" Klaus moaned as he brought her lips back to his.

"I'm not ready to go all the way yet." Bella admitted between kissed.

"I know. Don't worry." The original nodded before he went back to kiss her.

Bella could feel his erection growing under her and couldn't hide that she liked it. Suddenly, Klaus' face changed and his hybrid face got out. He tried to turn his face around so she didn't see him like this, afraid that she'd get scared but she quickly brought her hands to his face and caressed it.

"Don't hide your face Klaus, this is who you are, I know that this is a side of you, I've accepted it and I'm not afraid." Bella promised him.

"I love you!" He had the time to reply before she started to kiss him with his fangs out.

"We really should stop though, before it goes too far and we do something you're not ready for." Klaus warned her tenderly.

Bella nodded but he made sure to keep his hands on her hips, under her shirt while hers where on his chest once more.

.

While Bella and Klaus were busy in the attic, Damon was dropping Bonnie off.

"So, do you know what you're going to dress as?" She asked him.

"Stefan and I were thinking about coordinating. We wanted to dress as Barney and Ted Mosby from _How I met your mother_." He replied.

"Good idea. I have no idea what to dress like." Bonnie admitted.

"A witch maybe?" He suggested as he walked in with her.

"I dressed as a witch for Halloween. I'd like something new, something surprising." She explained.

"Well, whatever you decide to dress as, I would love to take you there." Damon told her, trying to officially ask her out but not knowing how to do it.

They had kissed, he should be comfortable with this but she always made him feel like he was special, like what they had was different and special.

"As… a date?" She asked.

"Yes, of course!" Damon nodded with a smile.

"How do you think Barney would feel about going to the party with a mermaid?" Bonny asked.

"I'm sure he would love that." Damon replied as he took the witch in his arms and kissed her softly.

.

While Bonnie and Damon were busy kissing each other in her living room, Kol and Caroline were in her house, looking for costumes idea.

"Hey, I have an idea!" Kol exclaimed suddenly.

They were now both naked on Caroline's bed. When they didn't find any idea after 5 minutes of thinking, they had jumped on each other and had sex. Maybe an idea would come to them after.

"And what might that be?" She asked him, playing with her fingers on his chest.

"You know that show we always watch together, Dexter?" He asked.

"Oh my God that's a great idea! You can go as Dexter! That guy would totally make a great vampire anyway." She replied.

"What about you?" Kol asked, grabbing her hand and flipping them over so he was on top.

"Well, you could be one of my victims." he added before she could reply.

"Dexter didn't sleep with his victims. His brother did that in first season. Maybe I can dress in a cop's uniform and be his sister."

"Why not, there is definitely something going on between those two anyway." Kol replied.

"Oh come on, she's his sister and he doesn't see her that way!" Caroline complained.

They were now picking up on an old argument.

"They are not related by blood" kiss "and she definitely loves him as more than a brother" kiss "and now that we know what we're going to dress as, I want to have some more sex." He added as he tenderly bit her nipples.

"I'm not going as Debra, I'll go as your victim. I'll wrap myself in the same plastic bands he uses and place a fake cut on my cheek." Caroline decided just before Kol started to kiss her breasts harder.

"Kol… That feels… Gosh you're good." Caroline managed to say.

She was already moaning hard. After a few minutes, Kol couldn't hold it in anymore and decided to be honest with the girl in his arms.

"Caroline, I need to tell you something serious now." He declared as he stopped kissing her for a minute and managed to freeze his hands over her breasts.

"What is it?" She looked worried.

She had never seen him looking so serious since they got together.

"I want you to know I'm falling for you. For me, this isn't just about sex anymore."

Caroline could feel a huge smile growing on her face:

"Really?"

He nodded.

"This is great! I'm falling for you too! I didn't want to say anything because I feared you would end the sex and just sex is better than nothing but I'm really happy now because…" She got cut off by a kiss.

"You're babbling!" Kol smirked as he kissed her and let his hand run their course on her skin.

.

While Kol and Caroline were busy in Caroline's room, Stefan was in Elena's room with her.

"Why can't you coordinate with me?" She asked him with a frown.

"Because I'm coordinating with Damon. He's going as Barney and I'm going as Ted." Stefan replied.

" _How I met your mother_ , seriously?" Elena asked amused.

"Hey, we're acting like brothers again! We wanted to find something and coordinate with Jasper but he's going to coordinate costumes with Rebekah." He replied.

"Everyone is coordinating then." Elena frowned.

"Well, maybe you can see with Bonnie or Bella." Stefan suggested before he kissed her.

"You're right, I'll figure something out. At worst I'll dress like Katherine!" Elena joked.

"That's one hard costume to get!" He laughed.

"Acting like her wouldn't be easy."

"But it would be fun for us!" Stefan added before her took her in his arms and kissed her.

In the next room, Jeremy and Anna were also talking about costumes.

"Why did Caroline have to come up with that costume idea? I have no inspiration at all!" Jeremy complained as he closed the history book he had opened looking for inspiration.

"Well, I have a crazy idea but it would be fun." Anna replied with a mischievous light in her eyes.

"What is it?" Jeremy asked.

"Well, I got the idea from the conversation earlier, I know where we can buy a lot of glitter…"

"Cold Ones? Great! This will be fun!" Jeremy nodded before kissing Anna.

Downstairs, Jenna was just coming back from planning the party with her new friend Esmee and saw Alaric waiting for her in his new Sheriff's uniform.

"You know, tonight I will show you just how much I love to see a man in uniform!" She informed him as she wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him hello.

"It will be easier with less teenagers in the house. Right now we have ears everywhere!" He joked.

"Things seem to be going fine with you and Anna." Jenna asked.

"Yes, she's a great kid. She just has been lonely for too long. She didn't have enough time with her mother and has been without parental authority for too long." He replied softly.

"I'm glad you two found each other then." Jenna assured him.

"Things good with Esmee?" Alaric asked.

He knew Jenna had gotten really close to her and was worried. He didn't want Esmee to end up leaving Jenna like they had Bella.

"Yes, she's a great woman, just like Sage. She has the same passion about decorating as I do. We're thinking of going to business together!" Jenna explained enthusiastically.

"That's great, I'm happy for you. How are we dressing up for tomorrow's thing?" He asked her.

"I'm not sure." Jenna replied.

"Maybe I can stay in uniform and be a sheriff?" Alaric suggested.

"No way, that's too easy and just not right!" Jenna complained.

"How about we both dress up as pirates?" he suggested then.

"That's a great idea! I know where we can find what we need!" She agreed as she jumped up, clapped her hands and dragged him upstairs to get their costumes together.

.

Jasper and Rebekah had taken a walk in the woods and ended up under what they all now called the demon-tree. After the fire, it had regenerated and the tree was in perfect shape.

"Thank you Jasper!" She blurted out.

"For what?"

"During the fight, I know you got bitten a few times because you were trying to protect me. You were trying to make sure I had nothing to do and I'm very grateful for it. I've never had anyone wanting to protect me like this before and… Well, it feels good!" She explained softly.

"You deserve to be looked after Rebekah, I told you before and I will tell you again: I will always be on your side and I will always try to protect you." He promised with an intense look in his eyes.

"I love you!"

Rebekah had told him those three words in a tone that showed it meant much more than what she had said. It wasn't a simple "I love you", it was an "I will always love you, forever" and they both knew it.

Knowing she wasn't comfortable with things like that, Jasper smiled at her and kissed her softly before things heated up and they ended up having sex against the tree.

A few hours later, they were snuggling and Rebekah asked:

"What do you want to dress up as for tomorrow's party?"

"I was thinking I could put my old uniform on." He replied.

"Great, I think I still have a dress from back then too." She agreed with a bright smile.

Just like that, they had decided how they would use for costumes.

Rebekah was happy she had found Jasper, he was the man she had dreamed of her whole life without ever really knowing who he was or if he was even real. He was her soul mate, she was sure of it and didn't need a Cupid to tell her.

.

Carlisle and Esmee were finally alone. It was rare lately, there was always someone around them but they had to admit that they loved it. They had thought about buying a house of their own of course but Damon and Stefan had insisted that they were more than welcome in the Boarding House and so they decided to stay.

"Do you like this costumed party idea?" He asked her.

"Of course I do! It's going to be great!" She told him.

"You're so happy lately, I love seeing you this happy." he confessed with a soft smile as he kissed her.

"I am happy yes. We have a whole new family with people that need me, I actually helped Damon and Stefan. I'm a mother again!" Esmee replied happily.

"And how do you want to dress for the party?" He asked.

"I'm not sure. Maybe a shepherdess." Esmee suggested before she added "I like that idea."

"It suits you." He nodded.

"What about you?"

"I could just dress like a doctor."

"No you cannot! You can't dress like what you already are, they were very clear about that." She scolded him softly.

"What do you want me to dress like then?" He asked.

"Isn't there anything you would like to dress like? Come on! Time to awake the child in you!" Esmee joked.

"Okay then… Maybe I'll dress like, oh, why not a Greek god?" Carlisle suggested.

"That's perfect!" Esmee cheered, clapping her hands and pulling him out of the house to go shopping for their costumes.

They walked through the doors in time to see Stefan and Damon coming home. They wouldn't have to work very hard on their costumes, which is why they chose to dress like Ted Mosby and Barney Stinson.

.

The next morning, Bella woke up with a big smile on her face. She had spent all last night watching movies in Klaus' arms and it was the best thing in the world. She knew she would never feel more comfortable anywhere else in the world: Only the safety of his arms would make her happy now. She was still surrounded by her cloud of bliss and happiness when she got down for some breakfast.

She still had a smile on her face when she answered her phone. It was a call from Elena.

"Hey Elena, what's up?" Bella asked, her cheerfulness audible in her voice.

"Bella thank God you answered! Bonnie and I have a big problem. We're at her place, I spent the night there so we could work on our costumes but… please, you have to help us!" Elena's voice sounded urgent and panicky.

Bella lost her smile instantly.

"What's going on?" Bella asked as she grabbed her purse and left a note on the kitchen counter saying:

" _Going to kill Elena and Bonnie, will be back soon!_ "

"We did some magic to help us with our costumes and… You were right. There are always consequences! Just, please hurry!" Elena begged before she hung up.

As she drove, Bella was mad.

She was having a great morning, a very happy morning until she got that phone call. Didn't she warn them about this situation? She remembered pretty well saying the word the day before: **Spells done for your own profit ALWAYS backfire!** Why did she always have to repeat herself around those two girls? Why was it that they couldn't understand a simple rule?

She parked her car in front of Bonnie's house and rang the doorbell. She waited and when nobody answered, she rang again.

Then she knocked.

She was about to turn back, very pissed off that they have her come here for no reason, when she got a text message on her phone:

"We can't get to the door. Come in!"

Rolling her eyes and even more pissed off, Bella got in and heard Bonnie's voice:

"We're in here!"

Bella rolled her eyes again. " _We're here!_ " was far from being a location. She followed the noise and found the two girls on the floor of Bonnie's bedroom. They were both changed into mermaids and had two empty bottles of water with them. Their skins looked dried up, about to fall off and they appeared to be in deep pain. They were obviously in need of water but unable to go and get some.

"Bella! Thank God you're here! We're in so much pain right now!" Elena exclaimed.

Belle didn't answer immediately and looked harshly at them.

"Bella…" Bonnie started in a weak voice, knowing what was coming.

"Don't! I don't want to hear your explanations! Didn't I warn everyone yesterday about using magic for personal gain? I told you it would have bad consequences! You two really need to stop being selfish and you need to start listening to what people tell you! I'm tired of having to clean up after you and this is the last time I do it! You better learn your lesson!" Bella really was mad.

"Come on Bella, you can't be mad at us for this! It's not our fault!" Elena argued.

Bonnie had the good sense to look guiltily at the floor.

"Yes I can, Elena! You're selfish and you know what? You're acting more and more like Katherine with every passing day! You might as well curl you hair for tonight's party and be done with your costume! You're exactly like her: You do what you want for yourself without thinking about anyone else! You don't listen to warnings and act the way YOU think is best when you don't know ANYTHING!" Bella yelled.

"This is exaggerating, it's not like you need to help us every day. We're only asking for your help this one time." Bonnie argued, not quite believing her own words.

"Just this one time? How many times did one of you come to me at school to fix a situation that YOU TWO created? I'm done! I'm helping you get out of this just this one last time because your life is on the line and after this, you better stay away from me until you're ready to apologize and learn your lessons! Next time you'll have to get out of this on your own! The next time you find yourselves in mermaid bodies, I'll put you in the bathtub and be done with it!" Bella snapped before she recited:

" _A spell was cast, Now make it past. Remove it now, Don't ask me how!_ "

Immediately, the two mermaids on the floor changed back into women. Bonnie looked up at Bella as the young witch was about to walk out the door:

"Bella…"

"Not now Bonnie! I don't want to hear it. I was having a great morning for the first time in several months and you two spoiled it because you're too stupid to listen to warnings! I'm sick of it. I'm done with you!" Bella snapped, giving them a hard look that reminded them of a disappointed mother and made them feel bad for a moment.

When she finally got back home, Klaus was waiting for her on the front porch:

"Any casualties?" he asked, knowing very well she wouldn't kill anyone.

"Unfortunately no, not this once. They didn't listen to me and used magic to create mermaid costumes. Like I warned the spell backfired and they became real mermaid, trapped on the bedroom floor without any water."

"You changed them back?" He asked as he escorted her to the living room.

"Of course I did but I warned them it was the last time I fixed their mistakes. They never listen, it's like they are the only one who knows what's right. I keep on fixing their mistakes over and over again, warning them every time to be careful but they keep on with it. It's infuriating!" Bella explained as Klaus handed her a hot cup of freshly brewed tea.

"I wasn't aware you had to help them so often." Klaus frowned, hating to see his love this upset.

"Almost every day at school. A girl looked at Stefan the wrong way and Elena got jealous because he help the girl up when she tripped so Elena pushed her down the stairs, I had to use my own healing power to heal her and then curse her to forget what happened. I failed a test after that because the magic I used to heal the girl tired me too much, thankfully I managed to get a make-up test and aced it. Elena looked sorry and we had other fish to fry so I let it go at the time. Then Bonnie used magic to cheat on a test and as a result every single one of her pens and pencils broke. When she borrowed one it broke too and I had to use magic to fix it. I have a long list of incidents like this, I thought Bonnie learned her lesson but this was too much. Next time I'm taking her powers away again, I'm tired of this."

"What about Elena?" Klaus asked her softly.

"I don't know, I guess I have no right to punish her myself since she's not a witch. I'll have to speak with Jenna and Alaric. I actually called Jenna on my way back and told her everything. She said she'd get on it and get back to me later. I'll call her back to see what she did later, talk to her about keeping a closer eye on Elena." The young witch explained.

"Not the best of mornings then."

"Well, it started out great… I'll put it behind me and think about something else." She replied as she put her cup of tea on the table and turned around to kiss her boyfriend who didn't hesitate and kissed her back, hoping it would help her have a better day.

.

Isabelle was in her bedroom with her mother, putting on her costume and she was very happy. Her parents had bought her the perfect costume and Elijah had given her a very shiny and sparkly necklace along with bracelets and jewelry to put in her hair and he assured her she would be the prettiest. She always loved it when Elijah gave her things but she did her best to behave and not to take advantage of things. She wasn't blind to the fact that he felt their bond much stronger than she did and she knew that he hated seeing her sad. How was she supposed to resist? Of course her parents told her not to take advantage of it but she couldn't resist. She loved that he wanted to do everything for her.

She had a pink princess dress with big white angel wings attached in her back and a black pointy witch hat with pink stars on it.

"You're the prettiest honey." Rosalie assured her daughter.

"Thanks mommy." The little girl replied with a bright smile as she watched her mother changing into an angel costume.

She knew her father was dressing as a devil and Elijah was dressing as a knight, just like she had asked him. Maybe he'd even get her a white horse like she wanted.

.

"I really don't know how Isabelle got Elijah to agree to this!" Klaus told Bella as they both arrived at the Boarding house for the party.

They had left Elijah to ride over with Rosalie, Emmett and Isabelle.

"It's simple, Isabelle asked him to be a pink sparkly knight and he can't say no to her." Bella replied, a hint of laughter in her voice.

"Well, I have to say it was hard to keep the laughter in when I saw him." Klaus confessed before he added:

"However as soon as I saw you, I've never seen anyone more beautiful than you Bella. You're the prettiest by far!" he complimented, making her blush.

Bianca's dress had fit Bella perfectly and after adding a few well chosen pieces of jewelry, Klaus swore he had traveled back in time.

"You look very handsome yourself!" Bella replied softly after kissing him before adding with a mocking smile "Just be glad I didn't ask you to dress as a pink knight in sparkling armor!"

"I'm sure I would have happily done it, for you." Klaus replied, knowing that what he felt for Bella was just as permanent and strong as the bond that tied Elijah to Isabelle.

As soon as she spotted Elena and Bonnie, Bella hardened her look and made it a point to ignore them. Bonnie was dressed like a Native American girl and Elena was dressed as an oriental belly dancer.

Bella knew Damon and Stefan had asked them why she was ignoring the two of them and she saw Bonnie looking guilty while Elena had her usual 'I didn't do anything and I don't understand why I'm being blamed for it' look.

"Bonnie explained everything to them, Damon is taking your defense and Bonnie understands and agrees that they went too far. Elena however, is arguing with Stefan. She doesn't really like that he is agreeing with you. She's taking it as a personal insult." Klaus whispered in her ear while he had his arms wrapped around her waist.

"Well, maybe she will end up learning a lesson." Bella replied with a shrug of the shoulders.

The rest of the party went down very well. Bonnie came to apologize and promised to be more careful, Elijah was happy to make Isabelle happy and hoped that nobody had taken picture of his like this (but knew they had all taken several of them.). Caroline and Kol had been very successful with their costumes. Everyone had played along and found an original costume and they had a lot of fun. Sage and Finn were dressed as ancient Rome's Emperor and his empress. They both looked really imposing and good in those costumes. Before it was too late, Emmett and Rosalie took their daughter back home to put her to bed and slowly, the party died out.

Klaus walked Bella up to her bedroom door and she had a hard time letting him go. Making out with him against her door was something she loved and she had a very hard time letting him walk away.

"Would you… Stay with me tonight?" She asked him after she finally opened her door.

"I thought you weren't ready." He asked softly, still kissing her neck.

"I'm not, I just would like to have you close to me, if you don't mind I mean." Bella added as she looked down with a blush on her face.

"Don't look down Bella. I would love to stay with you tonight!" he assured her as he pushed her head back up and kissed her softly and lovingly on the lips.

He slowly walked in the room with her and they helped each other taking their costumes off. Klaus stayed in his bowers while Bella went in her bathroom to put a nightgown on. They both lied under the covers and snuggled up in the arms of the person they loved.

"I love you Klaus. Good night." Bella told him.

"I love you too my sweet Bella. Good night!" Klaus replied, kissing her forehead and closing his eyes after tightening his hold on her.

* * *

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 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	17. Chapter 17

_Chapter 17 :_

Alice and Katherine were slowly getting better and they knew they had to be careful about what they would do next. They had spent the past few days running away from place to place. Alice thought they would have been safe in Texas, thinking that Peter, Jasper's old friend, was on the other side of the state, helping Jasper and the Mickealson family look for them. They had been surprised when Alice smelled him and were glad for the escape tunnels under the house, they had been running away ever since. They were now hiding in some caves in Florida, trying to find a way to leave the country and reach the Volturi.

"Those hybrids are everywhere!" Katherine spat as she got back in the cave out of breath with a couple of blood bags.

"I've seen that Klaus offered a lot of money for anyone who could either catch us or give information about us. A lot of supernatural creatures are after us now." Alice replied angrily.

"We need to get to Italy as soon as possible. Those Volturi have got to help us." The Petrova vampire insisted.

"I can't see much now, I can only hope that my initial plan works." Alice admitted.

"Don't worry Alice, we'll be fine." Katherine comforted her as she looked tenderly at her friend.

All they had now was each other and it was fine by her. They would make it together.

"I love you Katherine, I don't know if I'd be able to keep my spirits up without you." Alice confessed truthfully.

"I love you too Alice." Katherine replied before they hugged each other and started to try and plan a way to leave the caves and leave the country without being spotted.

Hybrids where looking for them at every big airport of the state and now that they had been spotted, their only option was to take a boat. It would take longer but they didn't care. They would find a way to reach Italy and to get the Volturi to listen to their plea. They would attack Mystic Falls, kill the Cullen's and Bella. They would even erase Mystic Fall's from the map and maybe, once they were done, they'd destroy Forks as well, just for the sake of it.

Alice would be able to manipulate the Volturi into attacking the innocents and they would lose their power because of all the witnesses she would manage to gather against them. They could both already feel the crowns on their heads. All they had to do was leave those caves and get to Italy.

.

The morning after the costumed party, Bella woke up with her head on Klaus' naked chest and his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

She loved it. She felt safe and protected.

At that moment, she was on a cloud of bliss and happiness and she was sure nothing would be able to take her down.

"Good morning my sweet Bella." She heard him say as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Good morning." she was blushing already.

"This is nice you know, waking up with you in my arms." Klaus assured her quietly, trying not to ruin the moment they were having.

"Even if I'm not ready to have sex yet?" She asked, slightly afraid he would run away if she wasn't ready for more immediately.

"Bella, I love you and sex is only a bonus. We have all the time in the world for it. Don't worry about a thing, I'm fine without the sex until you're ready." He promised as he caressed her back lovingly.

"But you want it, right?" She asked him uncomfortably.

She remembered Edward telling her that it would never happen between them, that he couldn't and wouldn't have sex with her. She might know that Klaus was different from Edward, Bella was still afraid that he'd have the same opinion and wouldn't want to have sex with her, ever.

"Of course I do, I'm a man Bella and you're a very attractive young woman." He replied with a chuckle before he kissed her.

Of course Bella answered to the kiss and soon, he flipped them both and she was trapped under him. They were both enjoying this moment when suddenly they heard a big commotion downstairs.

"What's going on?" Bella asked her love.

"I don't know, I hear too much different noises to tell them apart. Emmett and Elijah are cursing, which is very unusual and troubling coming from Elijah. I think Finn and Sage are chuckling, Isabelle is right out laughing, Rosalie is yelling at Emmett to _catch it_." He told her as they both got out of bed and ran downstairs quickly, still in their nightwear.

"They better not have let a flee infested cat into the house." Bella muttered.

When they arrived in the living room, Klaus in only his boxers and Bella in her nightgown, both with messy hair, everyone stopped to look at them.

"What's going on in here?" Bella demanded in an angry and surprised voice when she saw the scene in front of her.

Emmett and Elijah were both face down on the floor, while Isabelle was between them laughing. Everyone else was all around. The rest of the room was a mess, the door to the garden was wide open and there was dirt all over the room along with broken furniture.

"Why don't you ask my husband? It's his fault!" Rosalie replied.

Bella looked at him, not intimidated in the slightest that she was in her nightgown and that the people in the room might think she had sex with Niklaus.

"Well, well, well, Little Bella isn't so little anymore." Emmett teased her with a smirk.

"We just slept, nothing happened!" Bella exclaimed, still glaring.

"I knew my brother was soporific." Kol joked, making everyone laugh as Bella threw him against the wall.

"I'm not in a mood to laugh! I was having the best morning ever and you all ruined it! Now, what's going on in here?" Bella asked as Klaus smirked at the sight of his brother against the wall and wrapped his arms around Bella's waist to calm her down while he put his head on her shoulder.

"Well, I heard a weird noise in the backyard so I went down to check it out and since Isabelle was up and wanted breakfast I took her with me while Rosie got ready. When we got down, we saw a weird looking horse." Emmett was interrupted by his daughter.

"It was a very pretty unicorn aunt Bella, like the picture in the book." She assured in her child voice.

"Yes, a unicorn. It was eating your herbs and walking in your flowers and I knew we couldn't let people see it so I decided to hide it inside the house. I opened the door and I didn't have anything to do, it just walked in on its own." The big Cold One explained.

"Then the unicorn started to put dirt everywhere and to break things and mom, Kol, Elijah, Finn and Sage came down. My Elijah tried to help daddy catch it but it was too fast and now it ran out of the room." Isabelle continued.

"Where is it now?" Bella asked.

"Somewhere in the house, we're not sure." Rosalie replied in annoyance.

"In case this happens again Emmett, you should know that a unicorn is a very powerful magical creature that has its own magic powers. There is a reason humans think it is mythical and doesn't exists. They can hide themselves!" Bella explained as she slowly made her way to the door of the basement that had been burst open.

They all followed her all the way down the stairs and found the unicorn trying to find a way out.

"Everyone out now. Only Isabelle can stay!" Bella ordered.

"Why is that?" Emmett asked with a child like pout on his face.

"Because Unicorns are afraid of men and only are comfortable around virgins." Bella replied.

Klaus kissed her forehead softly, asked her to be careful and led everyone outside, leaving a clear path for Bella from the basement to the back yard.

"Aunt Bella, why did she come here?" The little girl asked.

"I don't know, she might simply be lost." Bella replied before she added:

"We'll try to find this out later. Right now the priority is to take it back outside. I don't want anything else to end up broken." The witch replied with a small smile before she slowly walked up to the beautiful creature.

Slowly, with lots of kind words and soothing touches, they both managed to get the unicorn calm enough and outside. Isabelle had ridden it the whole time and was happy.

By the time they reached the back yard, Klaus was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and ready to get started on the cleaning of the inside of the house. However, Rosalie had decided it would be Emmett's responsibility since it was his mistake and the Cold One was almost done already.

Once the animal was in the back yard again and then in the woods behind her house, Bella went back inside to take a shower and get dressed. After that, she went to check in the Book of Shadow and found out that Unicorns were usually cared for by the elves.

When she came back down, she took a quick breakfast and went back to the animal with Isabelle who wanted to spend as much time as possible with the rare creature while she could.

"What do we do now aunt Bella?" Isabelle asked before she added hopefully "Can we keep it?"

"It's not the kind of creature one can keep Sweetie. Elves usually take care of them according to the Book. We need to call them." Bella replied.

"How do we do it? A spell?" The little girl was very enthusiastic.

"There was no spell in the Book, I guess nobody in the family had to call them before. I need to make one up." She explained, shaking her head.

"Can we stay here while you do it?"

"Of course." Bella agreed.

She understood her niece's curiosity and sat down, trying to come up with a good spell.

It was hard to concentrate with the noise the beast was making and the little girl giggling so Bella decided to do it the quick way:

"Okay, I've had enough! Screw the Elves! _Take this beast before I end her. Ship her back, return to sender!_ " Bella recited forcefully as she stood in front of the unicorn.

Suddenly, a lot of little golden lights appeared, surrounded the creature and took it away from them.

"I'm going to miss her so much." Isabelle exclaimed theatrically with tears in her eyes.

"Not me! Come now, I'm sure we have a lot to do at home." Bella told her before they both walked back to the house.

"Is it done, Love?" Klaus asked her when they arrived.

He was working on fixing her garden up after the beautiful creature had destroyed it.

"Yes, I've sent it back where it came from." Bella announced as Isabelle added:

"I'm so sad now, I'm going to see if Elijah wants to play the unicorn with me."

"She truly looks sad." Klaus said with concern.

"She wanted to keep it. She'll get over it soon enough, she has to learn that she won't always get whatever she wants." Bella replied before she went to help Klaus with the gardening.

"What's on your mind, Bella?" Klaus asked her after a few minutes when he saw how thoughtful she looked.

"I'm just thinking that I didn't get any bills in the mail in a while, I hope I don't get trouble from it." She replied.

"Oh, that…" He realized, making her look up.

"What?" she asked.

"Well, you know how the mail comes while you're at school… Well, when we get it we usually take care of the bills immediately." He explained.

He knew she would react strongly about this but he also knew he should have told her the truth a long time ago.

"What? Why are you doing this? I have money you know, I don't need people taking care of my bills for me! Why didn't anyone tell me sooner?" She exclaimed slightly angrily as she stood up.

"I'm sorry my Bella. We just wanted to do something to help and we didn't tell you because it just never came up." he replied, trying to sooth her.

Klaus could feel a big fight coming about this and he knew he had to do his best to calm her down now.

"It never came up? Seriously? You never found the time to tell me you were paying my bills for me?" She asked.

Klaus couldn't help but think she looked hot when she was mad.

"It's not just me who pays the bills Bella! Rosalie and Emmett pay some of them and so does Elijah! We all want to help you so much. You did a lot for us all and it's the only thing we can do for you. Please don't be mad." He pleaded, looking at her tenderly.

It was silent for a while and Bella looked at Klaus' pleading eyes.

How could she ever stay mad at him? She understood why he did it but she always hated people spending money on her, Rosalie and Emmett should have known that. Of course she knew they were from a very generous family. They just wanted to help and give back a little of what she had given them.

"Fine, I'm not mad but you can't do this again!" She replied.

"I love you!" He simple replied with a kiss.

She knew why he didn't promise not to do it again. She knew he would do it in a heartbeat. It was in his nature to take care of her and in a way she liked it.

.

Of course, word of what happened that morning quickly reached the rest of the family and soon, everyone knew that a unicorn had visited them earlier and that Bella and Klaus both came down together in nightwear.

"A unicorn shows up here and all you're interested in is to know if I really spent the night with Klaus?" Bella asked Rebekah and Caroline.

"Yes!" The blond Original replied.

Bella sighted.

"Well, if you must know, yes, we slept together. Also it was just that: Sleeping!"

"Why? Did Klaus bore you with talk or something? Oh no, can't he… You know?" Caroline asked, making Rebekah chuckle.

"What? No! I'm just not ready for more yet! He knows that and respects it, and I'm sure he is very capable of, you know, it!" Bella exclaimed.

"You're a lucky girl!" Caroline whispered softly.

"Aren't you happy with my brother?" Rebekah asked the girl with surprise.

They had given the impression that everything was fine between them and it was a big surprise that it wasn't.

"Of course I am. It's just… Well, we started off as just sex friends and before the party we decided to try and be in a relationship. I know not much time has passed yet and maybe it's going to come but…"

"But?" Bella asked.

"I wish Kol would be more romantic sometimes." Caroline sighted.

"Maybe it's coming or maybe you should tell him that." Bella suggested.

"I don't know, I think I'll just wait a while and see how it goes. Maybe he just needs the time to adjust to our new dating situation." Caroline shrugged her shoulders.

"Or maybe he needs you to say it frankly. Boys are a little dumb sometimes. Especially my brothers. You should tell him what you want." Rebekah suggested.

"Maybe… I'll see how it goes." Caroline replied before they changed the subject.

.

In Forks, everything was going for the best for the wolf pack and Charlie Swan (and his new girlfriend).

When Leah and Mason came back in town along with the rest of the pack, they gave Liz a lot of her belongings and gave them news of life in Mystic Falls. They even got a very vivid description of the battle.

"I can't believe Bella fought against such creatures. She definitely has changed since she moved to Mystic Falls." Charlie commented.

"Well, I guess getting her powers must have pushed her to grow up faster." Liz suggested.

"She's always been very mature for her age but I guess everything made her much stronger." He replied.

"You should be proud of her."

"I am, I'm just sad that she changed so much, that she's not my little girl anymore." He replied.

They were both on the couch, watching TV in each other's arms. Time passed quickly for the two of them and they were very happy.

"Do you know what the girls actually think about this? Us? Me staying here?" Liz asked him.

"Bella was never one to lie about anything. She says she is happy for us and so she really is. She also says that Caroline is happy for us, so she must be." Charlie replied before kissing her softly to erase her worries.

"I love you Charlie, I've never said it enough but I really do!" She told him softly.

"I love you too, I'm really happy you decided to stay here with me." he replied.

.

Elena wasn't happy.

She had spent the whole evening last night listening to Stefan, Bonnie and Damon telling her how Bella was right and how she should apologize. Then this morning Jenna sat her down and spent about two hours trying to be a parental figure and lecturing her for things she was totally entitled to do.

Really, why should she apologize to Bella after all? She was in this town first and she had the Salvatore's friendship and attention first. Caroline and Bonnie were her friends first, but ever since she moved to town, Bella was slowly stealing everyone away from her.

First Caroline thought of her like a sister because they were as good as sisters since their parents got together, then she lectured Bonnie on how to use magic and when to use it…

Seriously, who did Bella think she was? Wasn't it enough that she got the chance to date Damon, did she have to push Bonnie to date him too? Why did Stefan have to be so friendly with her? Did he want her too? Was Bella going to convince Stefan to leave her?

Why did everyone love Bella so much?

Was it because she was powerful or because she had put a spell on them all?

Was it really so wrong for Elena to want to use people she knew to get what she wanted? All she ever wanted was to be happy and to get what she wanted. She wanted people to admire her and like her. She wanted people to realize just how important she really was.

After all, she did agree to do the ritual just so people would see how nice, considerate and selfless she was. By giving her blood to Klaus so he could Make Hybrids, she hoped that at some point, they'd end up loyal to her, like some sort of sire bond or something like that.

After she argued with Jenna, Elena took her car, not listening to her aunt telling her to stay at home and she drove to the Boarding house.

When she rang the doorbell, Esmee came to open with her usual soft and welcoming smile.

It looked like the Cullen's had made themselves at home. Why did Stefan like them so much anyway? Was it because they were loaded? Or maybe because Carlisle and Esmee were the parents everyone wished for?

"Hello Elena! Come on in. Stefan is in the library with his brother." Elena nodded at Esmee and walked to the library.

This was another thing she didn't like.

Stefan and Damon were now brothers. They were acting like brothers. It was harder to get Stefan to do what she wanted when Damon was always around reasoning with his little brother, being his friend and giving him his opinion about everything. She found things much easier when Stefan didn't trust Damon.

When she stood in the doorway, she saw Stefan and Damon laughing their asses off at whatever Rebekah and Jasper were telling them.

"Hey, what's going on here?" She asked with a smile when she walked in, looking at Stefan only.

"Hey Elena, Rebekah was just telling us the latest news from Bella's place." Stefan replied as he kissed her _hello_.

"Oh, something happened since last night? What's so funny?" She asked.

"A unicorn got lost and found its way in Bella's back yard. Emmett opened the back door and let it in the house so nobody could see it. The unicorn walked inside and it was chaos. Elijah and Emmett tried to chase it down but couldn't. A lot of furniture was destroyed and the best part is Bella coming down in her nightgown followed closely by Klaus in his boxers." Stefan explained quickly.

"Why couldn't Emmett and Elijah catch it? Aren't they supposed to be like, really fast and really strong?" Elena asked.

"Unicorns are really powerful magical creatures Elena, they can be tricky and, apparently, very stubborn too." Jasper explained.

"Are you sure it was a real unicorn?" Elena asked again, not wanting to believe it.

"Yes, we're sure. Bella said so before she sent it back where it came from." Rebekah replied.

She had done her best to give Elena a chance and to be civil with her but she was starting to get tired of it. She felt like the young human was fake and she couldn't shake her feeling off.

"Oh well, if Bella said so… But if Unicorns are so powerful I don't understand why they didn't keep it and used it for its powers." Elena replied in annoyance before she turned to Damon with a Katherine-like smile:

"So, are you sad to know that Bella gave Klaus what she didn't want to give you?"

"They didn't have sex, they just slept together! And no, I'm not sad. I'm happy for them. I don't have feelings for Bella anymore, not these feelings anyway. I'm happy with Bonnie." Damon replied as he rolled his eyes.

"Sure you are." Elena smirked before she dragged Stefan back to his bedroom.

It was the only place they were alone and where she felt she had any kind of control left on him.

"Don't be too long, we're going to Bella's later!" Damon reminded them.

Elena rolled her eyes again.

Of course her time with Stefan was cut short by Bella. She was everywhere lately. Just this morning when Jenna talked with her about changing her behavior she mentioned Bella at least 10 times.

.

When Isabelle came back from the woods, Elijah had already left. He had some business to attend to and didn't have a choice but to leave for the next few hours. The little girl did her best to get her mother to play with her but she had to buy new furniture to replace the ones her father had broken with the unicorn.

"What's wrong baby?" Emmett asked his daughter when he found her sitting on the floor of her bedroom looking on the verge of tears.

"Elijah isn't here and mommy is busy." she replied in a small sad voice.

"Well, Elijah had some important business to attend to baby, but I'm here. We can play together, I know we're not as close as you are with your mother and Elijah but I can be fun too!" Emmett assured her.

"What are we going to do?" she didn't seem very enthusiastic about it.

"Well, what do you want to do? We can play with your dolls if you want, or we can go for a walk in the woods and hunt a little, whatever you want to do." he replied.

"I don't think you will be good at playing dolls." Isabelle told her father with a frown as she looked him up and down.

"Well, we can find something else." He promised.

"I really wanted to keep that unicorn daddy."She replied with sad eyes.

"Do you want to go to the animal store so we can get you a dog or something?" He asked.

"No, I want something magical, something special and unique that nobody else has and that makes me very special."

"I would get it for you if I could baby but I really don't know where to look." He replied.

"We could use the Book…" She suggested.

"You mean you want to go to your Aunt Bella's magic room without her knowing it and do a spell to find a magical creature?" She nodded "That sounds like trouble baby, I'm sorry but I can't do it. Your mother would kill me, put me back together and cut me off for a whole year if I did that with you." He shook his head.

Isabelle climbed on his lap and gave him what could be qualified as the "puppy eyes".

"Please don't look at me like that baby." He pleaded.

He hated when his daughter looked like that. It was the same look the cat had at a moment in SHREK and he knew that she knew what she was doing. Just like her mother, she knew how to get to him.

"It's okay daddy, I'll still love you." The little girl whispered.

Elijah usually gave her everything she wanted and she didn't understand why her father didn't do the same thing.

"I'm really sorry Isabelle, but you need to learn that you're not always going to get everything you want, even if we love you more than anything in the world. If you want to do something else I'll be happy to do it with you but I'm your father and I need to make sure you don't get into trouble." He replied, staying strong.

He hated causing her disappointment but he also knew it was for the best.

After a few minutes of argument, they decided to go for a walk in the woods. All in all they still had fun. The little girl quickly forgot she was trying to make her father feel guilty and enjoyed her time with him.

Emmett was happy too. He needed to know he could be close to his daughter as well and he was happy to find out that he could do it. When they got back, she even let him play with her and the dolls. It was a big mark of trust from her.

.

Later that afternoon, Elena came over Bella's house with the two Salvatore and Bonnie. Rebekah and Jasper were out on a date out of town while Finn and Sage and Carlisle and Esmee were double dating in town. Caroline and Kol were away too and Rosalie decided she and Emmett would be taking Isabelle out for some Fast-food. Elijah decided to come with them for the little girl's first fast food. It was something he wanted to witness.

So it was just Bella, Klaus, Bonnie, Damon, Stefan and Elena. The tension was pretty tick. While Bonnie had apologized, Bella was still a little mad at her. Bonnie knew she had done something wrong but she didn't understand why Bella was so head set on making everything right so she wasn't talking much. She was also still ashamed that she let Elena control her so much, which was the reason why she wasn't speaking to her ex-best friend anymore.

Elena was mad at Bella and was doing a very bad job at hiding it, even if she tried to act like she was perfectly okay with everything. Earlier, she had talked with Stefan and her boyfriend had told her she was being immature. She just didn't see what she should be apologizing about. She still believed she was in her right to do what she did and she was planning on doing it again soon.

While Klaus was serving everyone drinks, Bella was in the kitchen making sure the chicken was cooking perfectly.

"Why don't you just use magic to make it good?" Elena asked Bella.

They were alone in the kitchen and Elena quickly forgot that the other could use their vampire hearing to hear what they were saying.

"Because it isn't right or necessary." The witch replied.

"You just like showing off, don't you?" Elena replied harshly.

Bella was taken aback by the reply.

"No, I don't. But I've been raised to do things right Elena and doing magic to serve yourself only is wrong and always have consequences. I thought what happened yesterday would have taught you that, Elena." Bella tried to stay calm and make the girl see reason.

"What it taught me is that Bonnie isn't as good as she thinks. She needs to practice." Elena replied simply.

"I don't know what's happening to you Elena but your becoming more like Katherine with every passing day!" Bella snapped

"You're just saying that to make me angry because you're jealous of me!" Elena replied arrogantly.

"Why would I be jealous of you?" Bella asked, shocked and taking a step back.

"Oh come on, don't act like you don't know. I'm pretty, sexy, popular and smart: Everyone loves me, the boys all want to be with me and the girls all want to be me. You're no exception."

"You are very full of yourself, aren't you?" Bella replied, still shocked.

"How dare you?" Elena yelled, alerting everyone and attracting them to the kitchen.

"What's going on here?" Klaus asked as he placed himself by Bella's side, slightly in front of her, ready to snap his hybrid eyes and fangs out in an instant.

Stefan went to stand by Elena while Damon and Bonnie stayed in the middle. Of course they had heard most of what they had talked about but they wanted to give Elena a chance to explain herself or to try to make amends.

"Bella is just being jealous of me and refuses to admit it." Elena declared smugly.

"It's crazy! Elena is acting like the manipulative bitch that Katherine is and she refuses to see it. You know what? I don't have to deal with this or to take all those fake accusations, I want her out of MY house this instant or I will throw her out myself along with anyone who thinks she's right. I'm done trying to help her and sorting her trouble. Next time I'll stay out of it, no matter the risk she's taking. She can go and get herself abducted by the source of all evil for all I care. You have 1 minute to leave." Bella snapped and yelled at the girl.

"Bella, come on…" Stefan started.

"Let her, she's just being a diva because she just realized she's never going to be as good as I am." Elena replied.

Everyone turned her way, along with Bella who was almost to the stairs.

"Elena, be reasonable! Bella is right you know…" Stefan started but didn't finish.

Elena was flying.

Actually, Bella was using her powers to transport Elena out of her house. The human girl shrieked and didn't try to hide her panic. Bella opened the door and threw Elena in the grass. Thankfully, the fall wasn't too high and she knew the doppelganger wouldn't get hurt too much.

"Why did you do that for?" Elena yelled, getting up slowly.

"Don't come back here before you get your temper checked out!" Bella yelled before she closed the door, turned toward everyone else and added:

"If anyone else feels like I have been unreasonable, you can leave too! I'm not hungry anymore, I'm going to bed!"

Then the young woman turned around and walked up the stairs and to her room while Klaus asked the others to leave so he could calm Bella down.

"Klaus, please tell Bella that I'm really sorry, I don't know what's taking over Elena lately…" Stefan apologized.

The Swans had been his secondary family for so long, he didn't want to lose that because of Elena's poor temper.

"I will, but right now she needs to be alone." Klaus nodded.

They all nodded and left, apologizing for Elena's behavior. When they opened the door again, they realized that Elena was gone again.

"I think I'm going to leave her alone for a while. She gives me the creeps when she acts like this." Stefan stated as he went in the car with his brother and Bonnie who nodded their agreement.

"Are you okay, Love?" Klaus asked as he came in his girlfriend's bedroom with a warm cup of tea.

Bella was on her bed, crying.

"I'm just upset, I know she's not taken over by a dark creature this time and I don't understand why she's acting this way." Bella shook her head, giving him a smile to thank him for the tea.

He sat by her side and took her in his arms.

"Maybe it's part of being the doppelganger, I remember Tatia acting just like that in the weeks before our mother killed her."

"But why did it come out sooner for Elena?" Bella asked, wanting to understand.

"Maybe it didn't come out sooner because she was young. Now that she's reached an age closer to the one Tatia was when she acted the same…"

"You think it's natural, part of her being a doppelganger and that it can't be stopped?" Bella asked him sadly.

"Yes, that's what I'm saying. I don't think we will be able to help her change unless she wants to." He replied softly.

"Does it mean she'll end up having a child out of marriage too?" Bella asked, thinking of the heartache awaiting Stefan if she did.

"I wouldn't be surprised if that happened, especially since I'm sure Stefan won't stay with her much longer now." He nodded.

.

The next morning, Bella woke up in Klaus' arms once again but the bliss from the previous morning wasn't there. She remembered too well why she had asked him to stay and Elena's hurtful words were still fresh in her memory.

"It's all going to be okay Bella. Don't think about it my love. It will all be okay eventually, I promise." Klaus whispered in her ear as soon as he saw that she was awake.

"Did you sleep at all?" She asked him softly.

"A bit, I wanted to make sure you had a good night." He replied in her ear while he stroke her arms and back.

They stayed in bed for a while before they decided to go downstairs and have some breakfast.

When they reached the kitchen, everyone was already up and obviously aware of what happened the night before.

"Damon and Stefan told Jasper, Carlisle, Esmee and I when we got back last night, I warned everyone else." Rebekah explained in a small voice.

"I'm just trying not to think about it, I've put a spell on the house so she can't come in anymore, no matter what happens. I'm the only one that can break this curse." Bella declared before she made herself a plate with the breakfast Rosalie had cooked earlier.

"Bella…" Sage started.

"Sage don't! I don't want to talk about her, I don't even want to think about her." Bella snapped.

"Okay then, why don't we talk about the fast approaching end of year exams? Are you ready Bella?" Finn asked calmly.

"I think so." Bella replied.

"You think so? Come on Bella, you're going to graduate as head of the class!" Sage complimented.

"What? Of course I'm not! There are a lot of other students who deserve to be head of the class more than I do." she replied.

"Well, I'm proud and happy to be with you, no matter what." Klaus whispered in her ear, making her blush.

They all ate breakfast in good spirit and after that, it was time for school again. Bella did her best to be the same as she usually was, except that she was now avoiding Elena. She soon realized that everyone else was avoiding the doppelganger. Even if part of her felt bad for Elena, who was now hanging out with a group of football players, she was glad everyone else could see the girl for who she truly was.

After school, Bella sent a message to Elijah and asked him to meet her at the Grill where they worked on her book some more for the first time in a while. Klaus was busy training his hybrids but sent a message to Bella, wishing her a good afternoon and a fruitful work session.

"Here, I like this part where Bianca is talking with one of her childhood friend who is married and the woman tells her what the nurse told her daughter. You should put it here." Elijah pointed to the right part.

"Okay, so we've got this." Bella nodded before she started to read:

" _Today, Galicia came to visit me._

 _She was worried about her daughter's future in this world. She had good arguments too, I remember exactly what she told me:_

" _Do you know what my daughter's nurse told her today? That in a girl's voice lies temptation. It's a known fact that eloquence in a woman means promiscuity. Promiscuity of the mind leads to promiscuity of the body. Of course she doesn't believe it yet but she will. She will grow up just like her mother, marry, raise children and honor her family. She will spend her youth in needlepoint and rue the day she was born a girl. And when she dies, she'll wonder why she obeyed all the rules of God and Country for no biblical hell could ever be worse than a state of perpetual in-consequence."_

 _She wanted me to teach her daughter to be a courtesan later… She doesn't realize that while my cage seems bigger than hers, it's still just a cage._ " Bella read as she wrote down the part.

"Yes, I like it. But you need to decide if you want to make it like a journal or like a story." Elijah told her.

"What do you think would be best?"

"I think you should choose to make it a novel, not a journal. Of course you can still keep some journal entries but it will be best with dialogues and everything.

"You're right." she replied before she went back to typing and taking notes.

"I think you should definitely write as a scene with dialogue the moment when Bianca's mother teaches her a few tricks to be a good courtesan." Elijah noted.

"Yes, I agree. She gives pretty good advises too: _Desire begins in the mind._ Oh and this one: _It's the wanting that keeps them alive!_ "

"She makes us men sound like animals sometimes." Elijah complained with a chuckle.

"Well, that's how her mother saw men. Bianca had a slightly different point of view but all in all she describes men as easily manipulated." Bella smiled softly before they went back to work.

"You definitely need to make sure people get that courtesans were the most well educated women in the world, it's important that people see that. You need to make them understand how hard it was for women to get an education back then." He informed her.

"Yes, I'm definitely going to put in it the moment when her mother takes her to the library when other women are not allowed the entrance." Bella nodded, still taking notes.

"Do you know which part you're going to leave as a journal?" He asked her curiously.

"Yes. Here, listen to this." She told him before she grabbed a journal and opened it at a page with a post-it. She started to read:

" _Valerio Vitti was my first._

 _Mother didn't tell me everything. Who knew something supposedly dishonorable could also provide so much pleasure?_

 _After the first uncomfortable few seconds, I was overtaken by the good feelings of bliss and great pleasure the friction of our body was providing me. I was sure this kind of feelings could only come from being intimate with your one true love but I was obviously wrong._

 _When it was finally time for him to leave, I only had one thing in mind:_

 _Who's next?"_

"I like it. It shows how important and defining her first time was." He agreed.

"Yes, it does." She replied with a small blush, making him chuckle.

She was thinking of her coming first time with Klaus and wondered if what she'll feel would be comparable to what Bianca had written.

After a few minute she pointed him to another part she liked:

"Look here, her mother tells her how to choose her lovers." She stated before she began reading

" _Bianca, in order to choose your lovers wisely, you need to understand men. No matter their shape or size, position or wealth… They all dream of the temptress. The irresistible, unapproachable Venus that can quickly turn pliable maiden when they've had a hard day."_

"Well, she's got us down doesn't she?" Elijah chuckled when he saw the part Bella didn't read.

A part that was much more technical about what to do to get a specific type of men's attention and how to handle them.

"Should I write the spell she hid in her poetry to try and change Pippino's way of seeing women?"

"Well, since he's the one who turned her in during the inquisition it didn't work right?" he asked.

"No, it didn't. You can't change who someone is inside." She replied.

"Then put it in, along with his reply!" He winked before he added "How did it start anyway?"

"Oh… hum… They were at some kind of party and the big noblemen asked for some poetry match for their entertainment. Pippino had made a comment about Bianca having been through all the men in the room and she replied that it put it all in a different kind of perspective. Then he makes a move on her but she refuses. He took it the wrong way and later when her poetry book was introduced, he attacked her verbally, saying she used her feminine attribute to get it done and that he didn't know the old man could still… Well here, listen:" Bella explained before she started to read:

" _Pippino_ _: Personally, I didn't think Count was still capable of getting it up. What did you do to him to get him to publish this book, Bianca?_

 _Umberto_ _: She worked for it!_

 _Pippino_ _: Ha, I bet she did. How much to you cost these days Bianca?_

 _Bianca_ _: If your prick is as limp as your verse, no price can buy time enough."_

"Then they fight a bit and talk some more before the good stuff really starts." Bella added before she picked up her reading further:

" _Bianca_ _: Recant the curse you give my kind. Admit I have, as you, a heart and mind._

 _Pippino_ _: A greedy hand, and empty heart is all that wrests your legs apart._

 _Bianca_ _: I confess I fuck divinely those who love… and well opine me._

 _Pippino_ _(mocking her): I confess… I fuck divinely… Those who… richly wine and dine me! May sing… and rhyme… and more. Still… is at best a slut… with every horny mutt! You pride yourself on arts and letters, and fucking best your manly betters!_

 _Bianca_ _: I save the goodly wives of Venice from their husband's lustful menace!"_

"Nice, I like the slight humor and the poetry of it all." He nodded.

"Me too, I really do." She replied with a smile.

After a few more minutes of hard work, they were distracted by a loud obnoxious laugh. They didn't need to turn around to recognize Elena's laugh.

"Let's go back home, I've had enough of this place for today!" Bella announced as she got up and put everything back in her bag.

Elijah nodded and walked her out and to his car.

.

Alice and Katherine were hand in hand, trying to find their way to the boat they had chosen to embark on. It was going to France but they knew that once there, they would be able to find a way to Italy with more ease. They were both hiding in a dark alley in front of the port, trying to hide from the couple of hybrids that had spotted them and escaped their attack on the group.

"We need to create a diversion so we can jump on this boat before it leaves!" Katherine repeated in annoyance.

"I hate to say it but they are stronger than us. We can't kill them." Alice shook her head, trying to analyze any possible outcome.

"Look, I'll just compel this girl here to keep them busy while we run." Katherine decided.

"Be careful please." Alice added with worry as she watched Katherine sneaking up to a pretty young woman and compelled her to keep the two hybrids busy.

It worked pretty well and while the hybrids tried to help the woman gather what she had dropped and finding her way, Alice and Katherine, still holding hands, ran to the boat and jumped on it just as it left.

When the two hybrids turned around, it was too late, they were already too far to catch up to them.

"I'll call Klaus now." One of them decided as the other nodded.

.

Klaus was in the back porch, spending some time with his brother Elijah while he was watching Isabelle running after butterflies, when his cell phone rang.

"Yes?" he asked, not recognizing the number.

"Klaus? It's Tom, one of your hybrid from Miami… I've got bad news on Katherine and Alice." The man announced on the other end of the line.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Well, we were a group of 8 and we had managed to corner them but the bitches are sneaky and they managed to kill 6 of us. We couldn't stop them from jumping on a boat."

"Do you know where the boat is going?" Klaus asked.

"Mario is getting more detailed information's right now. I'll text it to you as soon as I have it. Right now all I know is that the boat is going to France." The man replied quickly.

"Right, thanks mate. When you text me the information you got, text me your address and I'll send you the reward." Klaus replied.

"No problem. It will probably take a few minutes though." The hybrid added before he hung up.

Klaus sighted and called everyone.

It took a few minutes for everyone to come and he put them up to date with what his hybrid told him.

"Why are they going to France? I mean, I get that Europe has its appeal, we hid there a long time, but why go there now?" Rebekah asked.

"The Volturi." Carlisle stated.

"They are in Italy!" Emmett shook his head.

"Yes, but if they were trying to escape, they took the first occasion they got to escape. Once they reach France they won't have a problem to travel quickly toward Italy." Bella guessed quietly.

"But why would they go to the Volturi?" Caroline asked.

"Because Alice wants to use them. She wants power, probably their power. They are going to use them to try and get rid of us and once we're out of their way, they will take their thrones away from them." Jasper guessed.

"What do we do?" Esmee asked, a mask of horror on her face.

She was worried not only for Carlisle and herself but also for everyone else. She had grown to care deeply for them all.

"Well, according to the text I just received, they won't be in France before a couple of weeks. This gives us some time to organize." Klaus declared.

"I could cast a spell to delay them a little more." Bella suggested.

"Good idea!" Carlisle nodded.

"Okay, let's try this: _Alice and Katherine are on their way to acting badly, delay them somehow, give us a month to get ready._ " As soon as Bella recited that spell, they all felt air shift around them.

"It's done. We have a month." She assured them.

"Why didn't you ask for more?" Bonnie asked.

"Because it wouldn't have worked. If I want this to work I need to be reasonable in what I ask for." Bella replied and Bonnie nodded.

"So we have a month to decide on what we do?" Esmee asked worriedly.

"We have at least a month before they reach the Volturi." Bella nodded.

"Good. That leaves us free of worries until after your graduation." Elijah nodded.

They all nodded and decided not to think too much about it until after Bella's graduation.

As promised, Klaus sent a big reward to the two hybrids that had helped him along with a bonus to give to the families of the fallen hybrids. He was a man of his word after all.

* * *

 **Liked it?**

 **Thank you for being here, reading and supporting me. I love all of you.**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	18. Chapter 18

_Chapter 18:_

Just like they had decided, they didn't think about Alice and Katherine for the next few weeks, or at least they tried to keep them on the back of their minds. They had much more important things to think about and didn't have time to think about the two evil vampires decided on ruining everyone's life just because they wanted to.

Bella, Rebekah and Jasper had the end of year exams coming up and then graduation. It was very important for Bella to graduate but she felt something coming, something that would prevent everything from going smoothly. She didn't know what it was exactly but she knew it was supernatural and that she would need to vanquish something before the end of the exams, she just hoped that it wouldn't distract her from her school work, she wanted to graduate, she didn't want to fail, not when she spent so much of her time surrounded by smart vampires who knew so much more than she did about the world.

.

"We need to do something about it Emmett, Isabelle is becoming spoiled and I'm tired of her tantrums. She needs to understand that she can't always have everything she wants." Rosalie insisted.

They were both in their bedroom while Elijah had taken Isabelle to the park after the little girl had begged him to do so.

"Well, I'm starting to see that too but it might be because Elijah always gives her everything she asks for." Emmett replied.

"We need to talk to him, set things straight. Things need to change! I will not have a brat for a daughter." Rosalie added with anger.

"Calm down Rosy, we'll find a solution. Maybe we should move away for a while, at least until she grows up and learns responsibilities." Emmett suggested.

"That could be a good idea. Now we need to ask Elijah to stay away for a while, it won't be easy." Rosalie sighted before she entered Emmett's arms.

The reason behind their worry was an incident that happened the previous day.

Isabelle had found her mother's copy of the Book of Shadows and recited a spell to invoke a fairy. Once the fairy got here, the youngest Swan imprisoned her _guest_ in a box and decided the little thing was her new pet since she couldn't keep her unicorn.

The other fairies came to the house a couple of hours later, ready to declare war on the household and Bella got hurt trying to protect Isabelle. She ended up bleeding heavily on the floor and if Elijah and Klaus hadn't been there, she would have surely died.

Isabelle refused to let her ' _friend_ ' go and while Bella was sleeping, between life and death, Klaus got really angry and so did Rosalie and Emmett. Rosalie used magic to free the little fairy and gave her back to her family, apologizing for her daughter's behavior.

Isabelle threw a tantrum and yelled and cried for what seemed like hours until she understood that they wouldn't budge on this. Elijah had had a hard time watching her like this and ended up going to a bar with Kol, Jasper and Damon not to see it all. He really liked Bella, she was his best friend and he had a hard time seeing her hurt but it also pained him to see his mate cry. He was torn and didn't know what to do about it.

"Did you decide what you were going to do?" Bella asked Rosalie after she came down from her conversation with Emmett.

"Yes… It's not going to be easy but we think we need to leave town. Raise Isabelle away from Elijah if possible." The blond replied.

"He's not going to like it, it won't be easy for him." Klaus commented.

"I know but he can't help but give her everything she wants. It's not healthy for her, she's becoming spoiled and will not be a good person if we keep this going. You have enough to worry about here with Elena's bratty behavior without adding Isabelle into the mix and… I want to do my best to raise her the best way, prevent her from becoming a dark witch." The mother explained.

"You're right, it always starts with little things. Where are you going to go?" Bella asked her.

"We're not sure yet, maybe back in Forks, this way we'll stay close to you in a way and if something happened in Forks we'll be able to help Charlie and Liz."

"Good idea." Bella nodded before Klaus asked:

"Now who is going to inform Elijah?"

Rosalie and Emmett decided to inform Elijah of their decision together while Isabelle was in her room, packing sadly. They wanted to leave as soon as possible and the little girl knew it was her fault, it was her punishment for what she did to the fairy and she didn't really understand why it was so bad.

"Elijah, I'm really sorry but we need to talk." Emmett started softly.

"I heard." Elijah replied.

He was in the living room, drinking some Bourbon and looking quite depressed. He had grown attached to having the little girl around and he knew that he shouldn't have given her everything she wanted but he couldn't help it.

"We're really sorry but we don't see any other options." Rosalie apologized.

"I know… Don't worry, it hurts but I understand that it's for the best." Elijah replied reasonably.

"It's not forever… You'll be able to come for a visit from time to time and as soon as she's older, more reasonable, we'll come back." Rosalie assured him.

"I know, don't worry." Elijah smiled sadly.

As Emmett and Rosalie started to turn around, the most serious of all originals called back:

"I hope you don't mind but I don't think I can say goodbye, it hurts too much…"

"We understand… Hopefully it will help Isabelle to realize just how her actions can have heavy consequences." Emmett nodded.

.

For the past few weeks, Klaus had been spending his nights with Bella, just holding her in his arms and he loved it but he couldn't help get worried when he saw her tossing and turning in her bad dreams for the past few days. Now, the morning after Rosalie and Emmett left, he decided to try and find out more about those dreams who made her restless.

"Do you want to talk about it Bella?" Klaus asked her after another night of Bella being restless during the night.

"It's not really a nightmare. I'm in some sort of forest, I don't know where exactly but it's sunny and quite hot around. I'm not alone, there are a lot of other girls around me and we're all dressed weirdly." Bella started.

"How weirdly?" He asked curiously.

"Like the amazons from the Book of Shadows." Bella added.

"Really?"

"Yes, and I know it's them and I'm one of them. I'm the adopted sister/daughter of the Queen and we're hunting centaurs away from our land when tonight one of them shot her close to the heart. She gave me her right of cast just before I woke up."

"That's quite an exciting life you have in your dreams, love. I wish I could join you." Klaus mused as he kissed her neck softly.

"That's the thing, I don't think it was a dream. I've had similar dreams ever since I was a little girl and it always feels so real… I actually feel pain like I had just lost my mother." Bella explained.

"Maybe you should try to find a spell to get an answer." Klaus suggested.

"You're right, I think I'll do that right now. I want to know what this is all about, I've waited too long. Thanks." Bella replied before she headed into her magic room.

"Do you need anything or do you want me to leave you alone?" He asked from the door way.

"No that's fine thank you, I think it might be best of me to do this on my own but you should keep an ear out in case I end up shouting for help." She smiled before she kissed him on the lips and watched him nod and leave the room.

After finding the spell she needed to use in her trusty Book of Shadows, Bella placed the required number of candles around the room and a bowl in front of a big purple candle. She took a piece of paper and wrote : _"I want to know more about my Amazons dreams."_. Then she placed the paper near the flame of the candle and let it catch fire. As she placed it in the bowl she recited:

" _My heart is strong, my spirit is weak, it is an answer that I seek. The question burns within the fire, so that I can find the answer I desire._ "

As soon as she said the words, she saw the smoke from her piece of paper expend in the room and leave behind the mother she had watch die during her sleep.

"Bella, my sweet child! It's very nice to see you in your element." The spirit of the dead woman told her.

In front of Bella stood a tall brunette woman with long brown hair. She was dressed just like she had been when she had died the previous night and was smiling softly.

"Alkaia, is that you? How is it even possible?" Bella asked, still in shock.

"My sweet little Bella, it is time for me to explain everything to you. Maybe you should sit down, princess. Do you remember when the first time you came to us during your dreams was?" The tall Amazon woman asked Bella.

"I think I was 6 or 7. Mom wasn't paying any attention to me and it's around the time I had to start cooking for myself, I had just understood that I would need to be the adult and raise myself when you appeared and took me in."

"Yes, and around that time we learn of your prophecy. We were told you were also going to be the one who will lead our people forever." Alkaia explained.

"What do you mean? How can I lead you people? I have responsibilities here!" Bella shook her head.

"I know that sweetheart but just like you came to us in your dreams when we needed you, we will come to you when we need you now. My sister Bremusa will hold your place until there's something big happening that requires your presence. When the time comes to defend our territory against the centaurs or the men come again, they will come and find you, this time in your real world. Bella, I took you under my wings because your destiny is far greater than one of a witch who becomes a vampire and lives forever. Last night you reached you destiny my Bella: you're now the ultimate Amazone queen! You're not only the queen of the tribe that raised you in your dreams honey, you're also the queen of every Amazone tribe in the world." Alkaia revealed.

Bella was shocked and couldn't do anything beside stare. She never knew this kind of thing would ever happen to her. She was a queen!

"Alkaia, I don't know what to say… I don't even know if I'm capable of all this." Bella replied.

"Honey, you don't have to worry about anything. Before, everything you ever learned with us stayed with us, you forgot it when you were in your world. Now you're capable of fighting here too. You are a queen my Bella and I'm very proud of you." The tall woman complimented before she hugged Bella.

"I have to go now, I will always be there for you when you need me. Your Amazone sisters love you dearly and will always be with you. Remember Bella: we walk beside you, even when you don't see us. We might be apart, but never alone." She insisted before she disappeared in a cloud of lights.

Bella took a few minutes to breathe and to let what had happen when in front of her sink in before a wooden chest that used to belong to Alkaia magically appeared in front of her.

Bella slowly opened it and looked at everything in the large chest. She placed them, one by one, to the side so she could look at everything more closely. It looked like everything she owned in Amazone land was in this chest now.

The first things she took out of it was the brown leather skirt and the shirt that went with it, then she took the weapons (the sword, the knives,…) she was about to put the necklaces that made her the queen inside when she changed her mind and decided to put it all on, leaving the ceremonial masks aside. She was surprised to see a magical tattoo on her forearm.

This tattoo was the tribal tattoo that held her position in the tribe that raised her as she dreamed and on top of it had been added an antic symbol that designated her as the Ultimate Amazone Queen. Looking at herself in the mirror after she was dressed up, she saw another tattoo on her lower back. She gasped. It was her Amazone name.

Every Amazone in the world would recognize her now, as long as her tattoos were visible.

Seeing herself dressed like this and seeing the tattoos helped her realize who she was. She had just gotten used to the fact that she'd be the last Swan matriarch and that she was going to live forever but now she also understood that she was a Queen. And not just any kind of Queen, an Amazone Queen.

She decided that she needed to tell everyone about this new development and after making sure she had everything on her, including her weapons and jewelry, she walked down the stairs to find everyone in the living room. Apparently, Klaus had told Rebekah about the dreams and everyone came to see what it was about. If a danger was preparing itself, they wanted to be ready.

"Wow!" Klaus managed to say when he saw her.

"Hot!" Damon exclaimed.

"Bella?" Rebekah asked.

Everyone looked at her in awe, like some kind of divinity had appeared in front of them.

"Well, that's new. What is this new attire all about? Need more attention?" Elena muttered but shut her mouth as soon as everyone glared at her.

She had almost lost Stefan and knew she needed to be careful about what she did if she wanted to keep him in her life. Bella had allowed her back in her house, she couldn't spoil it by angering her again. She needed Stefan in her life.

"What is this Bella?" Caroline asked as she circled her friend and almost sister.

"When did you even get a tattoo?" Damon asked.

"You didn't have any when I left the bedroom, that's for sure. Now you have two?" Klaus exclaimed.

He had to admit that he was a little turned on by his girl, she was hot. Of course she always was hot but he found her even more attractive now, especially since her dress showed her neckline in a way he had never seen her show it before.

"Well, to make a long story short, ever since I was a little girl I've been dreaming that I had been adopted by an Amazone queen and raised among them. Tonight I dreamt that Alkaia, my adoptive mother and the queen, died during a battle and gave me her right of cast. I did a spell to find more about it and she came to me, telling me that it had all been real." Bella explained, blushing slightly under the intensity of the men's stare.

"So you're a queen to this Amazone tribe?" Jenna asked and chuckled as Anna slapped Jeremy upside his head to make him stop staring.

"Actually, it's a little more complicated than that. I am actually the Queen to every single Amazone tribe in the world, including the magical dimension and the ones who are here or on their own, I am what they all call the Ultimate Amazone Queen. Now and forever the queen to every single Amazone in the world." Bella replied, blushing.

"Wow… That's some destiny you have." Alaric mused.

"I can't believe you're an Amazone queen, I have met and fought Amazones in the past, a long time ago… They are excellent fighters, even though they are human they can hold their own against us." Klaus remembered.

"Before today, I didn't take my knowledge and abilities of Amazones back with me when I woke up but now I do. I don't just have my clothes and tattoos, I also have the ability to fight. I've trained hard in my dreams and now I know it all. I could probably hold my own against anyone in this room now without using my magic." Bella informed them.

"Well, you look very hot!" Kol exclaimed, followed by nods from Jeremy.

"Thanks…" Bella whispered with a blush on her cheeks.

"I'm glad you're still doing that." Klaus whispered in her hear, referring to her blush, before he kissed her on the neck.

They talked for a few more minutes before Bella decided to go out and relax a little. Klaus agreed that it would do her some good and along with Caroline, Rebekah, Kol and Jasper, they went to a small bar outside of town.

Of course Bella had changed into more modern clothing but the shirt she wore didn't hide her tattoos. When they entered the bar, Bella sensed something weird.

"What is it Bells?" Rebekah asked her.

"One of my sisters is here." Bella announced, looking around.

"Like an Amazone? Cool!" Caroline exclaimed as they all sat at a table and ordered.

Just then a tall woman, very sexy, walked to them. Looking at her, you would have thought she was a biker girl.

"My queen, it's nice to see you. My sisters and I aren't living very far from here. Just a couple of hours drive, here is my phone number, call if you need us." She introduced herself before she left, handing Bella a card with a name, address and phone number.

"I guess they can sense you just as much as you can sense them." Klaus told her before handing her the soda she had ordered and looking at the menus they had been given.

.

When she got home, Elena was enraged. Once again everyone had ignored her in favor of Bella.

Why didn't they side with her anymore? Why were they all always against everything she had to say? She was pacing in her room, rage rolling off her while she could hear her brother and Anna enjoying themselves in his bedroom. Did they have to be this loud?

Stefan told her that if she didn't get her behavior in check, he didn't want to be with her anymore. She was alone because her friends had sided with Bella and she wanted to make them pay one way or another. If she could find a way to ruin Bella's finals and make sure she didn't graduate, she'd do it.

She kept on pacing and glaring daggers toward the window when all of the sudden, flames appeared in front of her, without burning anything. Very fast, the flames died down and Elena found herself face to face with a very handsome man dressed all in black with a black cape on his shoulders. He had dark short hair and bright, un-human, green eyes with a tanned skin. He was obviously very strong too judging by his large shoulders.

"Who are you?" Elena asked, her voice calm, not showing any fear.

"My name is Radnor, I'm here for you." He introduced himself in a soft voice that showed authority and confidence.

"What do you mean you're here for me?" She asked him.

"I've been watching you and you're the perfect bride for me. Your anger will make powerful sons." He replied simply, shocking her.

"You're a demon aren't you?" Elena asked him.

"Yes, I am." He replied, advancing toward her, never letting her eyes look anywhere else than his.

Elena was stuck in his eyes and couldn't help but be excited at the sight of the demon-man in front of her. At last someone wanted her.

"What's going to happen now?" Elena whispered as she felt his hands on her hips.

"Now, I'm going to make you mine and you're going to carry my child. Then, I'll carry you away to my home where you'll be my bride." He explained in an authoritative tone, sending chills down Elena's spine.

She couldn't help but agree. He was the one for her, at that moment, she was sure of it. He wouldn't take Bella's side, he'd be hers and she'd be his.

.

Bella was in her garden reading up her last lessons for one of her exams when she was hit by a bad feeling, like a gush of wind, it went all around her, made sure she had felt it and recognized it before it left.

"What's wrong Bella?" Klaus asked, watching her frown.

"I don't know, I just feel like something is coming. We need to be careful, I just know it has to do with Elena." Bella replied, a worried frown on her face.

"Do you want me to go and get her?" he asked her.

"I don't think it would help. She's so set against anything to do with me lately… We'll just have to be careful, I think someone is going to use her."

"Well, maybe we should still warn Jeremy, Anna, Alaric and Jenna." He suggested.

"You're right, it might be a good idea to warn them to keep their eyes open."

"I'll go and call them right now!" He decided before he kissed her and took his cell phone out.

.

Elena was in her bed, smiling and satisfied.

Radnor had just disappeared after telling her he would be back soon. She put her hands on her belly.

She was pregnant. He had told her so and she believed him.

The pregnancy would go faster than a normal one: 9 days instead of 9 months. Already she had a bump. Once the child is born, he would come and collect the both of them and she would be welcomed in his world. He told her he was high up the demonic ladder and that she would be like a queen, adored by all, served by many.

It was all she ever wanted, right?

In front of her mirror, she pulled her shirt up so she could examine her baby bump closer.

"Elena, you're okay?" Jeremy asked her as he entered her room with Anna.

They both gasped when they realized what Elena was doing but refused to believe it was what they thought. It wouldn't be impossible, right?

"What do you want?" She asked her brother with an annoyed look.

"It's too late… We need to call Bella!" Anna whispered before they left the room in a hurry and Elena went back to staring at herself with pride.

.

20 minutes later, everyone, minus Elena, was in Bella's living room once again, listening to Jeremy telling them what he saw.

"Are you positive it was a baby bump?" Stefan asked, heartbroken.

"She definitely had a flat stomach yesterday." Jeremy nodded.

"And there definitely was another heartbeat in her, a very strong one." Anna added.

Jenna was looking extremely worried as Stefan found comfort between his brother and Esmee's motherly embrace.

"It was the reason you had a bad feeling. It happened." Klaus told Bella.

"I heard moans coming from her bedroom last night but I figured she had made up with Stefan and I didn't want to interrupt." Jenna half cried.

"If she got pregnant only last night and is already so advanced, the baby can't be human." Carlisle stated what everyone else knew.

"It's the child of a demon, a doppelganger can assure them strong spawns. He'd be able to move higher up the demon hierarchy and if he's already a powerful one, it would only ensure him more power." Klaus informed them.

"What can we do?" Bonnie exclaimed.

"No matter how she's been acting lately, we can't let her end up the mother of some demon baby!" Caroline exclaimed.

"I could do a spell to attract the father here and kill him but Elena would still be pregnant with a demon." Bella suggested.

"We can't kill a baby, it would be half human, right?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes, and there is some herb cocktails that we can use to ensure that it ends up more human than demonic." Bella added.

"I'll get right on it Bella, the sooner she takes them the better it is for her, the baby and everyone else." Bonnie suggested.

"Yes, look if I have everything in the basement. If you have to get some somewhere else, take Damon with you." Bella advised, in full super witch/ Amazone queen mode as she went upstairs to look for the right spell.

Before she climbed the stairs she turned toward Alaric and Jenna:

"Bring Elena here. Knock her out with a sleeping potion." She asked of them as she threw them a small bottle that was among the ones she stored all around the house in case of a surprise attack.

They nodded and left while Elijah and Klaus followed her up the stairs. They weren't willing to risk her life.

Bella walked in front of the Book and turned a few pages before she decided to create her own spell:

"Okay, let's try this: _In this time and in this hour, I call upon the higher power; bring to me the demon who wants to be her mate so that I can save Elena from her dark and evil fate._ " Bella recited.

Immediately, flames grew in front of her and a man dress all in black appeared in front of them.

"I should have guessed you wouldn't let me have the Doppelganger, witch!" He snarled.

"What do you want with Elena?" Bella asked after she threw at him a truth potion.

"I want her to have my child and be my queen in the underworld. With her as the mother of my children I would be unstoppable and create the most powerful dynasty in Hell!" he replied, obviously mad at himself for not being able to resist.

"I won't let you!" Bella replied before she used her blasting power.

Only his right arm exploded and he threw a fire ball at her. She used her powers to throw it back at him and his second arm burned off. She kept on blasting him until he finally was dust while Klaus and Elijah threw divers destroying potions at him.

"He was quite powerful, so his child will be also." She noted.

"Do you think you can save Elena's baby from being evil?" Elijah asked her.

"I hope so." Bella nodded before they made their way back down the stairs to see that Elena was trying to get away from them.

"The sleeping potion didn't work for long." Alaric informed her.

"That's because of the baby she carries." Bella replied.

"Radnor! Radnor help me!" Elena was yelling.

"Yell all you want, Radnor won't come, I just killed him!" Bella replied.

"You little bitch! Evil murdering slut!" Elena screeched.

"Oh shut up a second will you! You're carrying the demonic child of a demon and Bella is trying to make sure this baby will turn out more human than demon. The least you can do is to be grateful!" Jeremy snapped at his sister.

"Or we could simply kill the child!" Kol suggested.

If he didn't want to let it show, he was worried for Caroline and his family. He wanted to protect them all and if in order to do that he had to kill a baby before it was even born, he'd be happy to do it, damned be the consequences.

"Don't you dare touch my baby!" Elena snapped, looking scared and putting her hands protectively on her belly as she slowly back up into the wall.

"That's not what we want Elena. We're going to make sure you can have this child and keep it as human as we can." Bella replied as calmly as she could.

"I don't want _your_ help!" Elena screeched, glaring daggers at Bella.

"How about mine?" Bonnie asked as she came back with a bottle of herbal tea.

"Do I have to drink this?" Elena asked.

"If you drink as much of this as you can it will help your child developing with his humanity while keeping his powers." Bonnie informed her friend.

Elena took the bottle and slowly drank it.

Once she finished it, Bonnie showed her a big bottle of herbs, telling her that she would need to drink them until the delivery date.

"I'm not staying here with you all! I don't trust you not to kill me or my baby." Elena declared, breaking Stefan's heart even more.

"I could take you to Forks, Rosalie will have the powers to help you magically and make more herbal tea. I have the necessary equipment to take care of you in our Forks house." Carlisle suggested.

"Fine, as long as I don't have to see Bella or hear about her every day." Elena agreed before she turned away, declaring she was going to pack a bag.

"You don't have to go Carlisle, you know that. Rosalie could take care of Elena." Jasper told his surrogate father.

"I would feel better if I could be there, watch over everything directly." The good doctor replied.

It would be his second supernatural pregnancy in the past few months but he didn't mind, he was excited. After what felt like an eternity of studying the unchanging human body, he finally could study a body that he didn't know everything about. It was a challenge for him, one that he enjoyed and was very grateful for Bella over.

"It's a good idea to have her away from me for a while, it will give her time to recover from the hate and jealousy that surrounds her and to be the old Elena again. I feel like it will work." Bella nodded with a small smile.

"Stefan, you're okay brother?" Damon asked his little brother.

"I think I'll go with Carlisle and Esmee to Forks. I want to see if there is a chance for Elena and I to get back together." The younger Salvatore replied.

"You realize that if you get back together with Elena you'd have to be a father figure to the demonic bun she has in her doppelganger oven, right?" Rebekah asked him.

"Yeah I know. We'll see how it turns out." Stefan replied, leaving the house to pack a bag with Esmee and Carlisle.

They all knew that the main reason he left was because he didn't want to be away from Elena but also because he needed Esmee, a mother, to support him in this moment.

.

Far away from Mystic Falls, on a boat to Europe, Alice and Katherine were doing their best to keep themselves busy until they arrived at destination.

Most of the time, they stayed in the cabin they shared and spent time pleasuring each others. After all, who else could they trust with their most important needs than each others? Sometimes, they even talked about their past lives and imagined how everything would have gone if they had met earlier.

Whenever they needed something, they compelled a member of the crew to bring it to them. Life on their journey was quiet, easy and nice. Blood was the only thing they had to ration but they managed, they were strong willed and would make it.

Part of them wished it could last forever but they knew something was coming. Would it be good for them or good for Bella's team? They didn't know but were sure they'd be ready for anything.

.

Caroline was tired of how things were with Kol. Was it wrong of her to want more romance? She had tried to talk to Kol about it but he always cut her off with his abs and they ended up in bed, having sex.

"We need to talk Kol." She declared seriously, using a voice as strong and confident as she could.

"About what?" He asked her, already thinking about the awesome time they would have soon.

"About us."

"What about us?" He asked.

"Listen, I know we agreed on letting things be the way they come but… I want a change, I want romance!" She informed him in a hard tone that showed him she was sure of herself.

"What, like, me buying you dinner or something? I thought we were fine!" Kol exclaimed.

"Buying me dinner? You think buying me dinner will bring more romance between us? No Kol, I don't want you to buy me dinner. What I want is for you to show me that you care about me more than you care about having sex with me."

"I don't know if I can do that." Kol replied in a very soft voice.

"Then we cannot be together anymore. I'm sorry Kol, but it's my heart on the line here, I hate to do this because I do love you but I can't do this anymore if you're not as much involved in this as I am. You can show yourself out, you know the way." Caroline replied, tears in her eyes as she turned around and walked back to her room, not listening to Kol's calls.

Kol didn't know what to do. He couldn't leave, he couldn't lose her. Why couldn't he be romantic? Why couldn't he show her some romance when he knew he wanted it too, especially with her.

He knew why. He didn't want to get hurt like he had been a couple of times in the past. He had been taught to guard his heart over the years but since all of his siblings had opened their hearts and were happy with it, with the exception of Elijah who had some waiting to do, why couldn't he?

He didn't even realize that he was climbing the stairs when he found himself in front of Caroline's door. He could hear her crying on the other side and kicked himself for it, he hated it, he hated knowing that he was causing her this kind of pain.

"Caroline, I'm sorry…" He started to say as he walked closer to her.

"I thought I asked you to leave! Please, don't make this any harder for me." She begged him.

"I need for you to let me speak a bit please. I, I do love you Caroline. I know I've never said it before but I truly do! I've been guarding my heart for so long, protecting myself from heartbreak that I didn't realize what I was doing to the girl I love. I'm sorry Caroline, if you agree to give us a second chance, I promise you I will do my best to open my heart up to you, I'll take you out and I'll give you romance. As much as you want, whatever you want. Flowers, chocolate, jewelry, gifts… I'd give you the world if you asked it of me." He confessed, getting closer to her and, finally taking her in his arms and whispering to her "Please stop crying, I hate to see you crying, Love."

Caroline of course stopped crying and they just hugged for the rest of the night, promising to give each other more time and be truthful from now on.

.

Bella was studying for her last exam before graduation when Rebekah ran in the house, looking panicked.

"Jasper is sleeping! Do something!" She yelled, attracting her 2 brother's attention on top of Bella's.

"He's a cold one, he can't sleep. He's playing a prank on you." Klaus chuckled, rolling his eyes.

"You don't understand, his breathing is even and he can't wake up at all! At first I thought like you that he was joking but it's been hours now." Rebekah exclaimed.

Bella was about to say something when Elijah's phone rang and he left the room to answer it. This would mean one thing: Isabelle was calling to give him news. He came back in the room less than 5 minutes later.

"So, is Elena and her baby demon still doing alright?" Bella asked.

"Yes but that's not why Isabelle called. Stefan and Elena were with her. Carlisle, Esmee, Emmett and Rosalie are asleep!" Elijah exclaimed.

"Well, now we know it's not just Jasper, something is definitely up!" Bella exclaimed.

"Isabelle said that she saw that the vampire that looked like Elena paid some demon a while ago to force the Sandmen to put muses to sleep right before your exams so you'd miss and be in trouble but the demon misunderstood what Katherine showed him and saw the Cullen's." Elijah explained.

"Well, I'll cast a spell to kill the demon and soon after, the Cullen's will wake up." Bella decided.

"Do you need help?" Klaus asked.

"No, I'll be fine, thanks."

Bella went upstairs. She was mad. Couldn't she do something simply human that she cared about without the supernatural spoiling things for her? She was enraged! She flipped the book open, said a spell so the demon appeared in front of her and she blasted him before doing a spell to invoke a sandman. She told him the demon had been dealt with and not to do it again. He nodded and left.

She walked back down the stairs and grabbed her book, sitting back down in her armchair and going back to studying after saying "It's done!" to the rest of the house.

"Thanks!" Rebekah called out before running out.

.

Of course Bella aced her exams and was able to graduate, along with Rebekah and Jasper. Charlie and Liz came for the occasion, to celebrate Bella's success and to pick up a few more things that belonged to Liz. They didn't stay long because Charlie had to go back to work but they were proud of their daughters and Bella was happy for her father. She loved seeing him this happy.

After the ceremony, Sage and Finn left, to travel in Europe, just like they had planned. They were dying to finally have some time on their own, without family or friends, without anyone to interrupt their lovemaking. They simply wanted some alone time away from home, a vacation from all the pain and crazy they had suffered for the past few centuries.

.

Charlie and Liz were still happy together in Forks and Liz had to admit that she was happy not to have to deal with supernatural again. She was happy when Mason and Leah brought her some of her stuff. They brought her the most important and she was able to personalize what was now their house.

They had been disappointed that they had to go back so quickly but having Rosalie and Isabelle around town was a blast. No matter when she was born, Rosalie was now a Swan and so Isabelle was his family, she called Charlie grandpa and he loved it. He was happy to spend time with her as much as he could.

* * *

 **Did you like it? In the original version, the next chapter was also the last... I'll try to change that, or at least to make it longer than it was.**

 **Review please?**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	19. Chapter 19

_Chapter 19:_

Alice and Katherine were finally in Italy.

How did it take them so long?

They simply kept being interrupted by weird things: A tree falling right in front of their car on the road with a lot of people around so they couldn't use their powers to push it away, their stuff disappearing over and over again, people being excruciatingly slow in front of them…

"I'm sure Bella did something to delay us!" Katherine spat.

"Don't worry Kat, she doesn't know what we're up to. Even if she cast some kind of spell so we could be delayed, there is nothing she can do against us now. We'll be in Volterra soon and the Volturi will destroy that supernaturally aware town, they have to, it's their laws that are being broken." Alice reassured her best friend and lover as they crossed the invisible border between the two countries.

.

After her graduation, Bella knew that she needed to think about taking care of Alice and Katherine and their intention of getting the Volturi to attack the small town she had grown to love. Since her father had visited for the occasion, she waited until he left before she did anything. Once he was gone, she started making plans.

"Are you sure you want to go Bella?" Carlisle asked her.

He and Esmee came back a few days ago, telling them that Elena was fine and that she and Stefan decided to move somewhere new to try and start fresh with the baby. They however promised to keep in touch. Elena was back to her old safe and they believed that the demon had been influencing her so that she was ready for him. She felt guilty about everything she did and said, especially to Bella and said she didn't feel ready to face them again. Stefan and her did sent a picture of her baby boy and Rosalie made sure it would grow at a normal rate. Under the circumstances, they were happy.

"Yes, I am the Amazone Queen, they have to listen to me. We Amazones have helped them when they first got their power. We helped them defeat the Romanians on several occasions. They owe us their power and their lives, not helping me would start a war they were assured to lose." Bella announced.

"Well, you're not going alone!" Esmee shook her head with worry.

"Of course I'm not! I'm a high school graduate going to Europe for the first time in my life: I'm going with my boyfriend!" Bella replied with a small smile.

They quickly settled things and left the next day.

Klaus had gotten them first class tickets, saying that if she was going to Volterra as a Queen, she should get there as one too. At first he wanted to rent a private Jet but she managed to change his mind using the excuse of Global warming. She always managed to get her way when it came to him.

Once they landed in Florence, they drove to Volterra in a very fancy rental car and arrived a day before Alice and Katherine were supposed to come, according to what they had heard from the many supernatural beings that were helping Bella delaying them.

They entered the bathroom in the lobby of the castle before going to the reception desk and Bella dressed in her Queen Amazone attire. It was the best way for her to be recognized and accepted for who she was by the three kings. She was afraid that simply with her necklace and her tattoos, it wouldn't be enough. After all, anybody with enough knowledge would be able to forge some copies and she really needed to impress them.

Surely coming with the Original Hybrid as her boyfriend would surprise and impress them but she couldn't help but want them to be in awe of her. She needed them to do what she wanted and to stay on her side.

"Welcome to Volterra, how can I help you?" A human receptionist asked them in a bad English as soon as they arrived.

"Please inform Aro that Isabella Swan, Queen of all Amazones is here with Niklaus Mickealson, Original Hybrid and that we wish to see him as soon as possible to discuss important and official matters." Bella demanded in an imperious voice.

She had practiced her queen tone and was very proud of it. She knew that she needed to act differently when she was in her Queen skin, she needed to act like a queen if she wanted to be respected like one.

"Of course!" The woman exclaimed in a squeaky voice before taking her phone and speaking quickly in Italian.

After only a couple of minutes, two tall vampires came to them.

"Your highness, we apologize for the wait you had to suffer. Aro would be happy to see you right away, please follow us." The first one declared before informing her that his name was Felix and that his friend's was Demetri.

Both Bella and Klaus noticed how Felix checked Bella out but Bella decided to ignore it while Klaus simply placed his hand around her waist, showing that she was, indeed, his.

They walked through several long and sometimes very cold corridors before they finally arrived in front of two big wooden doors and were welcomed in what appeared to be the throne room that would belong in a renaissance painting.

"Welcome, Welcome! My name is Aro, this is Marcus and this is Caius! You must be the long prophesied Ultimate Amazone Queen, it is truly an honor to meet you."

"Thank you, you can call me Bella, and this is Klaus Mickealson." She introduced.

"A member of the original family of vampire, it's very nice to meet you, I know that Caius is excited to meet you as well Klaus. Now, what can we do for you?" Aro asked Bella.

Bella found it weird to see those three kind talking to her like she was the highest ranked in the room, like she somehow had power over them. It was both pleasing and disturbing.

Bella took about a half hour to explain the situation to them.

"Well, those two need to be dealt with quickly." Caius enraged while Marcus kept on looking at Bella in an intense look.

"Alice has the power to see the future based on the decisions you take, I've cast a spell to prevent the people in this castle to be seen in her visions but I'm not sure it's going to work right. We need to be careful." Bella warned them.

"What is it brother? What has you so taken with Queen Bella?" Aro asked Marcus, bringing all the attention to the sad and quiet ruler.

Klaus went to stand closer to Bella, showing everyone that she was his, even if he hadn't marked her yet. There was no way he'd let a Cold One, no matter his rank, take her from him. She was the one he had been waiting for his entire life without really knowing it and he wouldn't let her go.

"I'm not sure, the queen looks somewhat familiar."

"Familiar? I've never been around here and I don't remember ever meeting you." Bella asked with confusion evident on her voice.

"Not in that sense, no, but... You have my mother's eyes, and my sister's hair." Marcus replied.

"So she's some distant relative? Family from several generations over?" Caius asked him, looking at Bella too, trying to see the resemblance.

"I think so." Marcus replied with a small smile nobody had seen on his face since Didymee died.

Bella was uncomfortable with this conversation, she felt it could take their focus away from the important things so she spoke.

"Listen, I really need Alice and Katherine out of the way so the people I love can be safe again. If you do this, I'll perform a spell that will allow you to see Didymee once more to say goodbye or whatever it is you need to do. I will also perform a spell so you and your higher ranked guards don't sparkle in the sun anymore." Bella suggested.

"You will?" Aro asked with surprise.

"Yes, I will. According to a spell I did they should be here tomorrow morning, around 7 and I would really like to be able to deal with them the way I please." Bella announced.

"Why don't you and your friend go and stay in one of our best rooms? You can use the afternoon to visit the town. We'll deal with the misfits together tomorrow." Aro suggested.

"Thank you Aro." Bella nodded.

"Anything for you dear Bella. Your arrival was prophesied a long time ago and you're a legend already. Simply meeting you is an honor but helping you, having the chance to prove ourselves to you, now that's the real honor!" Aro complimented while Caius nodded and Marcus, understanding her reservations added:

"We shall speak tomorrow young one, after the misfits are dealt with."

Bella nodded with a soft smile and left.

.

Klaus and Bella discovered their room and after seeing how truly luxurious it was and setting their luggage down, Bella changed into more tourist-like clothes and they left the castle to go on a tour of the town and simply enjoy the Italian sun together.

"Your highness, Aro wants to know if you wish for an escort while you visit the town?" The vampire named Felix came and asked her as they were about to leave the castle.

"We'll be fine, thank you." Bella replied with a smile.

"As you wish." Felix added with a small bow before he left the place.

"Aro likes you, so does his guards apparently. You seem to be very popular anywhere you go." Klaus told her as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Well, you don't need to be worried, you're the only one I see, no matter where we are." Bella reassured him softly before she kissed him.

.

"This is nice." Bella stated as they both sat at a terrace with cold drinks.

They had iced tea and the sun was shining brightly. It was hitting their skins softly and warming them up in a nice, comforting way.

"Yes, it is. We should think about doing that more often when you're not worried about Alice and Katherine." Klaus replied, knowing her mind didn't take a break and that she was worried about everything.

"You know me too well. When this is over and they're dead, we'll take a long vacation, just the two of us and no worries to disturb us." Bella declared.

"Where do you want to go?" He asked her with a smile.

"How about on the Amazone land? It's sunny and peaceful, and I do need to make an appearance there once in a while." She suggested with excitement shining in her eyes.

"As you wish, love." He replied, happy to see her happy.

Of course Bella knew that they wouldn't be going immediately, she had a plan on how she wanted Katherine to die and it would delay their alone time a bit but she didn't mind, it would bring a lot of happiness to her Love, it was the most important.

"After they die, there is something I have to finally give you, too." Bella added quietly with a blush on her face.

"What is that?" Klaus asked in a teasing voice, guessing what she was talking about and liking that she was.

"I think you know already. It's long overdue." She replied, still blushing.

Klaus chuckled and kissed her hard:

"I love you Bella, I hope you know that."

"As I love you." She replied.

They saw a lot of the town over the day and even crossed an Amazone on vacation. Once again, she bowed to Bella and gave her Queen her phone number and email address, just in case.

The couple had a lot of fun and it allowed Bella to relax a little instead of stressing over what was going to happen the next morning.

.

They eventually went back to the castle and, tired from their long afternoon, they went to bed.

The next morning, they were awoken at 6:30 by Felix, bringing them a breakfast tray and informing them of Alice and Katherine being spotted entering the city by a member of the guard. They got dressed quickly and joined the three Volturi kings in the throne rooms. Bella had on her formal Amazone Queen attire and looked impressive, especially when she stood with Klaus and the three kings behind her.

Before they left their room, Bella turned to Klaus and told him:

"I think I'd like to drink a bit of your blood before we go." She looked shy as she asked him this.

"My blood? Why?" He asked surprised.

"Just in case they have efficient plans B, C, D and E like they usually do."

"You're not going to die this morning Bella, I won't allow it." Klaus growled.

"I know this, but just in case, as a safety measure, please." She suggested with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Of course Sweet Bella. When you look at it this way... Here, drink up." He replied, biting into his wrist and letting her drink from it.

She drank a few mouthfuls before she stopped, licked his wrist clean and looked up to him. He bent down to kiss her and after they finally separated, they made their ways through the long corridors of the castle.

.

As soon as they entered the throne room, everyone stood and the guard bowed to Bella.

In true Bella fashion, she blushed and looked around the room. When her eyes landed on the three kings, she saw that they stood, too, and were probably waiting for her to sit down to sit as well.

She immediately saw that a forth and fifth throne had been added. If the fourth one, the one for Klaus, was very similar to the others except that, somehow, it fitted him and who he was perfectly, hers was by far the prettiest. It was positioned so that it was the center of all attention. Aro was on her right with Klaus, who was the closest to her and Marcus and Caius were on her left. She was truly in the middle, sitting in the position of power. The honor they were doing her made her blush.

"Bella, we had a throne brought in for you and Klaus." Aro stated, standing as she entered the room.

"Thank you, it's beautiful but that wasn't necessary." She replied with a soft blush.

"On the contrary, I think it was. They need to know what your real position is as soon as they enter. I figured Klaus would stand by your side, he is the first Hybrid after all, and one of the first of his race of vampires, that makes him fit to sit with us as well." Aro explained.

Klaus nodded. He didn't want to be away from Bella when she was in danger. He wanted to be able to protect her against the two little bitches that were on their way. He couldn't let her become a vampire, not yet. She wasn't ready and he knew it.

Bella went to sit on her throne and only after she was seated did everyone else relax a little.

"So much for not liking being the center of attention!" Bella muttered, making everyone smile with amusement.

.

They didn't have to wait for long.

A few minutes after Bella sat down, a member of the guard opened the door and let Katherine and Alice walk in the room. The two young women were holding hands and looked pretty confident at first.

The first thing the two vampires saw when they came in was that all the guard was assembled and they found it suspicious. The big double door closed behind them before they had time to look further and a couple of guards stood behind them, blocking any chance of retreat.

Turning back around to the front of the room, they wondered who was on the two new thrones when they recognized Bella and Klaus. They both stopped in their confident walk forward and looked worried for a minute before Alice squeezed Katherine's hand reassuringly and motioned for them to walk forward.

"So this is Alice and Katherine. You two have some nerves attacking a queen and coming here to ask us to help you killing her and her people." Caius growled.

"Since when do you take pathetic humans as royalty?" Alice asked smartly.

She figured that they were already condemned by the look of things, she might as well try to do things with fashion. Katherine tightened her hold on Alice's hand too. They were on the same page.

"How do you dare?" Marcus screamed in rage.

Alice and Katherine were shocked. Just like everyone else, they knew of Marcus being a depressed king and him breaking out of his shell was impressive and new.

"Let me do this please." Bella asked softly before she rose.

"What kind of attire is this?" Alice snorted.

"You know me as Isabella Swan, pathetic human you manipulated and then later you met the witch version of me. Maybe you even heard of the prophecy there is about me being the first ever witch that will be able to live forever and to keep her power after her change into a vampire. What you obviously don't know is that I am the Ultimate Amazone Queen. You see, for years, in my sleep, I've lived a second life, one I lived with a tribe of Amazones. I was adopted by the Queen and when she died, very recently, she made me the new Queen. The prophecy made me the Ultimate Queen. A queen to all Amazone all over this world and every dimension. I am much more powerful than you think and I don't need spells to kill the two of you today." Bella explained calmly, feeling a new confidence in her as she stood up.

"You think you can take us without using potions, spells or the guards?" Katherine snorted.

"I know I can, but what makes you think that you deserve this attention from me?" Bella asked.

"It's not like you have a chance." Alice snorted before she and Katherine started throwing several small vials of potions toward the guards and the thrones.

"Oh, you think that by freezing everyone you'll be able to fight me? I have to give you this though, you're always prepared." Bella chuckled, taking a few steps toward her.

She could see everyone's eyes could still move so she kissed Klaus' forehead before she walked to stand in front of her two nemesis. She was nervous and tried her best to hide it. Sure, she was strong, surely strong enough to rival their own strength, but would she be able to fight the both of them at the same time?

"Don't even try one of your spells, we're prepared for this as well." Katherine warned her as the three of them started circling each others.

"I figured. Don't worry, I've spent every night since I was 6 training to fight Centaurs, men, demons and even a few vampires. I helped my sisters fight against the God of War and his minions once too. I think I can handle the two of you without breaking too much of a sweat." She replied.

"Let's see then, shall we." Alice smirked.

Then the fight started.

Bella could finally put to good use all of the training that came back to her mind since she got her queen title. She had fought a few times with Klaus or Elijah to practice and knew she could hold her own.

Alice and Katherine were fast but then so was Bella. She immediately got her sword and knife out and started to fight them as best as she could. She knew that everyone was watching her and for once, she didn't feel bad about being the center of attention, she felt it strangely empowering. She wanted them all impressed with her, she wanted them to be afraid of ever going against her.

At some point, Bella threw her knife right into Katherine's heart and if it didn't kill her, the poison on it had her paralyzed and unable to move.

"No! What did you do to her? Katherine!" Alice screamed.

"Don't worry, she doesn't feel anything, for now." Bella replied before they started fighting again.

Bella managed to slice Alice's right arm off with her special sword and kept on fighting, slicing the second arm and the head in another move. She took the time to cut Alice is smaller pieces with her sword, separating the legs from the body and cutting her chest in half.

"Remember what I wrote in that letter Alice? Karma is a bitch." Bella declared to the Cold One's head that was blinking in horror on the floor.

Bella figured that she was probably seeing her own end in one of her famous visions. She was about to turn around and check on Klaus when Katherine managed to take the knife out and to run to Alice's head.

"No! Alice, no! Don't leave me Lilice, please don't leave me!" Katherine crying as she grabbed Alice's head and buried her face in Alice's hair before she turned to Bella and while she tried to assemble the Alice jigsaw she said:

"How dare you hurt her? How could you? You little bitch I'll..." Katherine however couldn't continue as Bella quickly recited a spell to end the protections on Katherine and another one to freeze her body, leaving her head free to see, hear and talk back.

"Oh, Katherine... I could have just killed you and been done with it but you murdered my grandmother... Say, have you ever heard of Nadia Petrova?" Bella asked the vampire doppelganger with a smirk, knowing that she had been preparing for this moment ever since her grandmother had died.

"Never heard of her." Katherine replied in a snarl, probably hoping that her not knowing the person would throw Bella off.

"That's too bad because she knows you and she's been looking for you for over 500 years... But then again, it's only natural for a daughter to look for her mother, isn't it?" Bella smirked, thinking that her smirk would make Damon proud.

"What are you talking about?" Katherine asked, suddenly more serious.

"The baby that was ripped from your arms hours after she was born? Well, she became a vampire after she learned that you were one and she's looking for you. She wanted to get to know you, to spend time with you... She knows everything you've done and yet, like every child, she loves you, her mother." Bella confessed.

"How do you know this?" Katherine asked.

"I'm a witch and your daughter runs with Tavelers. Wanna see her? I just so happen to have received a video of her about a week ago." Bella replied before she took her cellphone out from between her breasts, where she had hidden it and played the video for Katherine who had tears in her eyes.

"My baby... Please, I have to get to her." Katherine begged Bella.

"I could have freed you if you hadn't murdered my grandmother but you did and so you're going to die today and you'll die knowing that Klaus and I will go after your daughter and kill her too."

"No! Please no, not her, please." The condemned vampire begged.

"Shhhhhhh, don't yell now Katherine. You won't die in vain, you're death will help me bring a very precious gift to Klaus. And since Alice isn't completely dead yet, I can also use her to bring back someone else, isn't that grand?" Bella explained in fake enthusiasm.

While Katherine was begging for her life, Bella lifted the freezing spell that was on everyone and asked for candles and a bag she had in her room. Felix and Jane brought everything to her quickly and, while Klaus wondered what she was going to do, Bella settled everything.

"Klaus, you should take the stone and warn Ansel to be ready. Marius, think about Didyme as hard as you can, the harder and the most people will think about her, the more chance there are that she'll hear it and come." Bella asked.

"What are you going to do?" Caïus asked her curiously.

"Well, resurrections spells are pretty specific, it has to be a life for a life. Katherine's death will allow Ansel, Klaus's father, to come back to life and Alice's sacrifice will allow Didyme to come back to life. I had planned this for Ansel only and didn't know when or if I'd be able to do it because I didn't want to sacrifice just anyone but since I have the occasion to do it... Why not? After all the bad they've done, we can at least do some good with them now." Bella explained as she kept on preparing everything.

Not waiting for anyone to reply and seeing that Klaus was staying quiet not to disturb her, Bella started the ancient ritual she had modified for Ansel and quickly adjusted it for Didyme.

Everyone was in awe when they watched the two guilty vampires slowly disappearing while, in the circles of candles, two human shapes formed.

"Didyme..." Marius whispered, walking closer to Bella, just like Klaus did.

Aro and Caius stayed near the thrones but they were standing up, in awe of the powers Bella had shone and kept on showing.

It took Bella about 20 minutes but eventually, Katherine and Alice were gone, spirit and body, while Ansel and Didyme were back in the land of the living.

"Welcome back." Bella told them and, after being hugged by the two freshly risen people, she watched them hug their loved ones.

"Bella, love, you're one extraordinary woman!" Klaus told her with his father by his side.

Bella was about to reply when she was applauded by everyone in the room for a job well done and her great show of power.

She felt a bit sorry for Alice and Katherine. Surely, if their human lives had gone differently, they would have led different lives, maybe as good people fighting for what was right, maybe as simple normal people. Their bad human pasts had dictated their evil future and that made her a bit sorry for them now but she didn't regret doing what she had. Two good people where back, two bad ones where dead.

"Well, that was short, but very productive. " Caius commented.

"You almost sound disappointed brother." Marcus stated, his long lost wife safely in his arms.

"It's not every day we get to watch such a great show, I was hoping for it to last a bit longer." The blond ruler replied honestly with a small smirk.

"Well, I'm glad it was this short. I hated not being able to move and end Katerina's life sooner, though I'm glad her end resulted in my father coming back to life." Klaus growled.

Bella called her friends and family with the good news of what she had done and spent the rest of the day in Volterra before she and Klaus grabbed a plane to Spain, where they were going to spend a few days before touring the rest of Europe and visiting the Amazone land and the tribes all over the world. At first she wanted to keep Ansel with them a few days but he had offered to thank her by giving them a few weeks on their own. Felix would escort him back to Mystic Fall's and, there, the other Mickealson's would help him adjust until Bella and Klaus came back.

Of course Klaus agreed, he'd have his father with him forever now, he had time and he wanted, more than to spend time with his father, to spend some alone time with Bella.

Before she left the beautiful castle, Bella took the time to speak with Marcus and, with a simple spell, they found out that, indeed, she was one of his descendants. One of her favorite ancestor, Bianca, was the granddaughter of Marcus. She also did the spell to give the kings, their wives and their higher ranked guards the ability to go in the sun without sparkling. They now had her phone number and, if the spell ever needed to be adjusted, taken from someone or put on someone new, she'd come back and do it, if she felt like it.

"Please come and see us again soon fair Bella. This castle is your home too now." Aro told her as they were saying their goodbyes.

Of course Bella promised to come again soon. At the moment though, she could only think of what she was planning to do with Klaus once they reached his house in Spain.

.

They traveled by plane once more and after a short but peaceful ride, they finally arrived in front of a small but beautiful house.

"I called ahead and had the maid prepare everything." Klaus told her as they entered.

The house was simple and just big enough for the two of them. It was isolated and the perfect house for them to have their small break from reality. Of course they had called Mystic Fall's to make sure that Ansel had arrived safe and sound and, after confirmation that he had and already had a cellphone, they hung up, knowing that everything would be fine in their short absence.

"It's getting late already. Do you want to take a shower to wash off the plane trip or go to bed immediately?" Klaus asked her after the tour of the house when he realized that it was almost midnight.

"I think we should both take a shower." Bella replied with a light in her eyes that turned the vampire on immediately.

"After you my Love." He replied with a smile as they made their way to the bathroom, undressing each other between kisses on the way.

When they entered the shower, Bella suddenly realized that she was naked in front of this man for the first time but Klaus didn't let her be self conscious as he immediately told her just how sexy she was and how much he wanted her. They took turn washing each other and used this opportunity to get to know the other's body better, slowly, softly and sexily.

After about an hour in the shower, they both got out and, once they dried each other off, all the while teasing each other and chuckling, Klaus carried his love to the bed and took his time making love to her for the first time.

It was perfect for the both of them and unable to help himself, Klaus ended up marking her on the shoulder.

.

The next morning, Bella woke up to an empty bed. She was just starting to wonder where Klaus could be when he showed up with a well furnished breakfast tray.

"Good morning my sweet Bella." he greeted her with the smile of a perfectly happy man.

"Good morning. You didn't have to make breakfast you know, I could have done it." She assured him.

"I know but I wanted to." He replied, setting the tray down and sitting next to her so they could eat together.

At some point, when they were almost done with the breakfast, Bella told him:

"You know about Bianca's journal, I was thinking, I can't really publish it until I've tried at least a few of her tricks." She was blushing but the mischievous light in her eyes told everything.

"That, my dear, is a very good idea. Let's test it out." Klaus replied, kissing her hard before they discarded the tray and started testing out some tricks.

.

At some point, Klaus and Bella decided it was best to go back to reality before something bad happened and forced them back into it. They decided to visit Charlie and Liz in Forks only to learn that the couple was expecting twins and was very happy about it. Of course Bella was also super happy, so was Caroline who came with Kol as soon as she heard.

"Well, I know I can't have kids but I can be the super cool, super nice big sister! Kol and I are going to stay here a while to help you when they're born " Caroline announced them.

"If you're the super cool, super nice big sister, who am I?" Bella asked.

"You're the super witch, super powerful big sister that will help them out of the trouble they get in because of me." Caroline replied, making everyone roll their eyes.

"Do you know what it's going to be yet?" Klaus asked the couple.

"We wanted to but they were both hiding so we have to wait a while. " Liz replied sadly.

"I could find out for you if you want." Bella suggested.

"That would be great Bells." Charlie exclaimed.

Bella immediately grabbed a couple of candles and did a simple spell to have an answer to a question.

"Well, these two are boys but it's not going to be your last. " She replied.

"We'll have one more?" Liz asked with a bright smile.

"Try another set of twins: Girls this time. You'll need Rosalie and I to help you from time to time because they'll have powers. Don't worry, we'll be able to bind them until they're older of you want to." Bella replied with a small smile.

"Well, look who's repopulating the founding families." Kol joked, wishing Damon could have heard him because he knew that he, at least, would have seen the humor in this.

.

Of course Bella and Klaus used this occasion to visit Rosalie, Emmett and Isabelle. The little girl was growing up and maturing very fast.

"We're thinking of moving back to Mystic Fall's now. She much more mature and we don't want to keep her away from Elijah much longer. Talking on the phone every day isn't enough anymore for him and since she's being reasonable with her powers..." Rosalie told Bella as they took a walk through the woods on their own.

"I'm sure he'll love that." Bella smiled.

"What about you, I know you're planning on changing to be a vampire like Klaus. When are you going to do it?" Rosalie asked.

"I still have some time. He was around 24 when he was turned. We'll wait until I'm at least that age, unless something happens in the mean time." Bella replied.

"Good, it will give you time to prepare."

"You're happy now, right Rosalie? You're not damning this life anymore?" Bella asked her sister.

"No, I'm not. You gave me everything I've always wanted Bella, I'm happier than I've ever been. Emmett and I are talking about adopting in a few years. I'll do a spell to find a supernatural baby or something. We have time." Rosalie replied with a soft smile.

"So, another child in a few years?"

"Yes. We'll wait until Isabelle and Elijah are happy and together first though."

"Good idea. One supernatural kid at the time is enough." Bella concluded with an amused chuckle.

.

Back in Mystic Fall's, Mason and Leah were happy together and when Leah found herself pregnant, they couldn't have been happier. The entire Lockwood family was happy about it.

The parents weren't sure if the child would be human, hybrid, werewolf or a shape shifter but they didn't worry about that now. They would find out later and everything would be fine because they were together and because they had friends to help them deal with anything.

.

Much like Finn and Sage, Jasper and Rebekah decided to travel a bit. They visited Peter and Charlotte in Texas before the four of them decided to travel the world. Sometimes they would cross people they knew, sometimes they would end up coming home to celebrate a special occasion with their friends and family.

At some point, they decided to settle down and went back to high school, playing humans and pretending they were absolutely normal.

.

Bonnie and Damon stayed in Mystic Fall's a bit. When Jeremy and Anna graduated High school, they all went to college together not far from their home town so they could always be near.

Bonnie started taking herbs to slow down her aging and this gesture touched Damon a lot. He suggested changing her but Bella came home around that time and gave Bonnie the opportunity to become a vampire and keep her powers. She wouldn't be as strong as she could be while staying human but she would be able to defend herself and her loved ones. Bonnie accepted and completed the transition on her 23rd birthday, just one day before her wedding to Damon.

.

After two years away from everyone, Elena and Stefan, always as happy together, went back home with the boy she had given birth to. Elena was back to her caring nice self and after truly apologizing to everyone, they all went back to being one big happy family.

Elena and Bella never got really close but at least Elena had her friends Bonnie and Caroline back. Everyone was surprised that Stefan had given his last name to the boy but they didn't question it. He loved the boy and the boy loved him, it was the most important.

If she didn't want to become a vampire in the past, she had now changed her mind, mainly because her son would stop aging when he turned 18, so she asked Stefan to change her before they got home and he did. Bonnie provided her friend with a ring so she could walk in the sun and everything was right for them.

.

Alaric, now official sheriff of Mystic Fall's and Jenna were also very happy together and started a family at some point. They were very good parents and knew how to protect their children from the supernatural, while knowing to give a chance to people before judging them to be evil.

.

Carlisle and Esmee spent some time on their own before they started traveling. Most of the time, they lived with Rosalie and Emmett but sometimes they would move with the Salvatore. They had a big family and even if they didn't have children of their own, they were able to give all their love to the children around them.

After Isabelle and Elijah got together, when Rosalie looked for a kid to adopt, Esmee asked her daughter to do it for her too and they both found needing supernatural babies that were in need of a loving family. While Rosalie adopted a baby girl and boy that were twins and half cupid, half witch, Esmee adopted a two year old half werewolf, half Cold One and her baby brother who was half Cold One and half fairy.

It wasn't always easy but they did their best and always had help from their friends. In a home where Love and understanding dominated, it was hard to turn evil.

.

Elijah and Isabelle started dating when Isabelle looked to be 17 and they never let go of each other since that day. They didn't argue much and were really happy. Their happiness seemed to be able to bring out the happiness around them too.

After they were together for 5 years, Isabelle got pregnant and they both got ready to welcome into life this new Swan witch.

.

Bella's book became a series of best sellers and she used the money to do as much good as she could around her. She was growing very powerful and popular in the supernatural world. Of course, over the years, she had to escape from a few demons' attacks but she always won, even if she sometimes needed help from her friends do save the day.

She met up with a few Amazone tribes over the years too and visited them once in a while to check if everyone was doing okay and if there was no war starting with enemy tribes. She always went to see them for official ceremonies, knowing that it was an honor to her people to have her present for such an occasion.

She also visited the Volturi and even though she wasn't a Cold One, she was an honorary Queen and whenever she would go there, her word would become law. The three kings knew that she was more popular than them and they did their best not to anger her.

Bella never got anymore news from her mother. She found out at some point that Renee and Phil had had a few children of their own but she never saw them and was never told of their existence by her mother. She was fine with it though, she had made her peace with the fact that Renee hadn't been her mother. To Bella, her mother had been Alkaia, the Amazone who made her queen.

She stayed the matriarch of the Swan witch line and made sure to teach all the young ones how to use their powers and about right or wrong. She even made them all their personal version of the family Book of Shadows for their 16th birthday.

A few days after she turned 19, Bella learned that she was pregnant and this brought back a question the Mickealson had put in the back of their minds lately: What would they do about Freya and their aunt Dahlia?

* * *

 **So, with this open end, you have to know that more is coming, at least one chapter, maybe more, depends how I'm inspired. It will come later though, because I have a hard time writing it.**

 _ **Merry Christmas!**_

 **Review please?**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


	20. A little extra for you

**_Chapter 20_**

 _(totally new, this part wasn't in the first version with Bella and Elijah, sorry for the delay but it wasn't easy to write it)_

* * *

Bella had celebrated her 19th birthday just 3 weeks ago when she found out that she was pregnant with her first child. Of course everyone was happy for her and Klaus but the celebrations didn't last long. Indeed, the news of this coming baby, the first of this generation of Mickealson's, brought back a worry they had almost forgotten and hadn't taken the time to deal with yet: Dahlia and Freya.

"We don't even know if they're still alive." Rebekah protested.

"On the other side, Esther was pretty sure that Dahlia was alive." Ansel argued.

"But we've left her alone, why would she go after us?" Kol asked.

"If she's really as bad as Finn remembers and Ansel heard, I think she'd go after us simply because you all share her sister's blood. To her, your mother's pact is still holding and will be forever." Bella guessed, placing protective hands over her slowly growing stomach.

"Why are you so calm, aren't you worried at all?" Elijah asked her.

"No, I'm not. I'm pretty sure that I'm powerful enough to fight her off and free Freya if necessary. I know we'll be fine. It might not be an easy fight but we'll be fine, I know it. I mean, take a look at our allies." Bella replied calmly.

"She's right. Hybrids, shape-shifters, werewolves, vampires, witches, amazon warriors... And that's without counting the numerous other magical creature that are willing to help Bella and her family. I have to agree with Bella and believe that we'll be fine." Klaus added, an arm wrapped around Bella's waist.

"But we'll try to free Freya before we attack her, right?" Finn asked, worried.

"Of course. Since she's so close to you, I'm going to use you to try and locate her. Then you and Sage will be able to go and get her, or try to talk to her without Dahlia noticing. If you can bring her here without Dahlia knowing it, bring her." Bella told him, going up the stairs and in her magic room to get her set of locating maps along with the necessary candles.

Once everything was settled, Bella took a couple of hair from Finn and placed them on the map. Reciting the right spell, the hair circled around the southern east side of the United States. Klaus immediately replaced the world map by one of the right area and it circle around New Orleans. Once again, Klaus placed the right map on the table, looking up at Elijah and Rebekah, remembering their time in New Orleans.

"Well, looks like the past is coming back to haunt us, doesn't it?" Kol declared once they had the precise location of the house.

"What do you mean?" Bella asked.

"This house is special... Klaus had his witches curse it so that witches locked inside wouldn't be able to get out." Kol replied before Klaus explained the story in more details.

"I should be able to cook something up. A protection spell placed on clothes should allow you two to go in and out without problems. Another spell to prevent their magic from affecting you and a set of protected clothes for Freya. It should work." Bella replied after thinking a few minutes.

"What if Dahlia is inside as well?" Sage asked, worried.

"Well, if she's inside her magic won't be able to affect you and you'll be able to just leave her inside. It would actually solve our problems." Bella shrugged her shoulder, looking for the right protection spells in the large Book.

"What if Freya is under Dahlia's control? What do we do?" Rebekah asked.

"I'll give you a bracelet that you'll place on her wrist. It will prevent her from using any magic until I take it off. If she's good, she should understand that it's for the best. If she's under someone else's control, we should be able to clean her mind, so to speak, once she's here. Don't worry, I have a good feeling about this." Bella replied.

While Bella looked some more in the Book, everyone moved to the side to discuss what the plan would be once in New Orleans and it was decided that Jasper and Kol would join them. Rebekah and Klaus couldn't go back there, not with the memories of Marcel and the way Mickeal had killed him. Ansel had wanted to go to help but it was decided that a werewolf in New Orleans wasn't a good idea.

.

It took Bella a couple of days to prepare everything for her family to go to New Orleans. She even got a couple of her Amazons to go along, just in case they were needed in a fight. She added a few freezing potions, a couple of exploding ones and a couple of vials filled with protection potions, just in case they needed to protect someone else against magic. She also gave them two vials of potions that would be able to break a small spell or curse.

She would have liked to go herself, it would have made everything much simpler but she didn't want to risk her child's life and the fact that Freya was in New Orleans had opened up a wound in Klaus that she wanted to be able to help him heal, along with Ansel. She knew how much it had hurt Klaus to see his protege, his son, killed by Mickeal and not be able to save him. He needed her more than the others, he needed to know that she and the baby were safe, and so she did her best to stay safe, with him.

.

From the moment Jasper, Kol, Finn and Sage left for New Orleans, time seemed to flow by extremely slowly. They were waiting on news, any news, from what was happening. Caroline went with them but, as soon as they had Freya, she would leave on her own to go visit her mother, Charlie and her new siblings. She wanted to spend a few days out of town and knew that Kol wanted to spend some time with his family. He'd join her once the problem with Dahlia was solved. Kol had been the one who suggested that she left for a while and she knew that it was because he didn't want her caught between two fires. He was afraid she'd get hurt and knew she missed her mother.

Bella and Klaus had to wait two days before Kol called them, informing them that, surprisingly, Marcel had survived and that he now ruled the French Quarters of New Orleans from his residence, the Abattoir.

"Did he see you?" Klaus asked, his voice tick with hidden emotions while Bella went to sit on his lap, knowing that it would calm him down.

"No, we didn't stick around long enough for that. We're about to go inside the witch house now." Kol replied.

"Good, don't let him see you. Just get Freya and come home. I'll deal with Marcellus later." Klaus replied.

"Maybe we should leave him a little message before we leave... Something to inform him that we know and that he has some explaining to do." Kol suggested.

"What do you have in mind?" Klaus asked him, curious.

"Maybe a couple of your hybrids walking through town, making sure to let people know that Klaus' hybrids are in town, see if he decides to reach out or not." Kol suggested.

"Good idea. Maybe let Sage be seen as well, let her be clear that she's here for a short vacation, that she's about to go back to Finn, that she's just looking for something. Make sure you mention a coming family reunion or something." Klaus added.

"Good idea. We'll get right on it then. I'll call you back once we have Freya." Kol said before he hung up.

"Are you okay Klaus?" Bella asked him.

She had heard the story of Marcellus and she knew how much Klaus had mourned him. She understood why he'd be angry right now and she wanted to do her best to help him go through this.

"I'm fine." he shook his head.

"No you're not, and it's okay not to be." Bella whispered in his ear as she stayed on his lap and hugged him.

"I just never expected him to betray me as well. Not only did he fake his death and let us think that he was dead but he took everything we had build and made it his own. He's ruling our city, the town that was our own little kingdom for so long..." Klaus replied honestly.

"If you want to go over there and confront him, I'll pack our bags and we can go right away." She offered.

"No, I want to give him a chance to come to me first. He'll see Kol or Sage, he'll see and hear my hybrids and he'll know that I'm alive and about to find out what he's done. Then he'll have the choice of telling me the truth himself or letting me discover it on my own. The second option won't be good for him." Klaus told Bella.

.

For Kol, Caroline, Jasper, Finn and Sage, everything went according to plan.

Bella's protection spells worked very well and before they knew it, they were back out of the cursed house with the lost Mickealson by their side. Freya had woken up as soon as Finn had touched her glass coffin and she immediately recognized him, even though she hadn't seen him since she was taken away.

They hadn't wasted any time, Finn told her that if she put the bracelet on, she wouldn't be able to use magic but that she'd be protected until they arrived home, where they'd have time to talk and see if she was being controlled by their aunt Dahlia. Freya touched Finn's hands and looked in his eyes for a few seconds before she decided to trust him and let him place the bracelet on her. Then, she put on the protected clothes they gave her and followed them, happy to see all of her siblings working together with friends.

Before they left town, Sage did her part so that Marcel would know Klaus was alive and reuniting his family in peace while Kol and Caroline said goodbye, for over 2 hours, in a nearby hotel room.

The way back home was long and so they had time to explain everything to Freya, who in turn explained the life she had had with their aunt. She was eager to meet Bella, the one who had reunited her family and helped them all find love and was ready to do anything in order to help them get rid of Dahlia and protect the future baby Mickealson. Maybe she'd even find happiness.

On the way, Freya told them everything she had been through because of their aunt and how she had tried to stop her in the past and had failed. She could feel it though, her family, now, would be able to stop Dahlia. Especially with Bella. After everything they told her about Klaus' love, she was confident that the end of her troubles was here. She'd finally be happy and free.

Freya also felt guilty because if she hadn't killed her baby all these years ago, Dahlia wouldn't be going after Bella and Klaus' child now. She was worried that maybe the future parents will be mad at her for this but Finn reassured her that Bella was a very forgiving and loving person, that she'd understand and wouldn't even think of being angry. As for Klaus, they made sure she knew that he had calmed down and that Bella would be able to calm him down if necessary.

.

When they finally arrived in the Mystic Fall's ancestral Swan house, everything was ready to welcome them.

Over the past few years, the house had been enlarged. The Mickealson had convinced Bella to let them pay for it and she had agreed, letting them add another floor so they'd all have their own bedroom and a few guest rooms. Freya's room was simple enough, mainly because they didn't know enough about her to decorate it but they had made sure she had everything she'd need and that she'd be able to change it later.

Even though Kol lived with Caroline in the Forbes' family house, he still had a room in Bella's house. Sometimes, he and Caroline used it, when they wanted to spend some time with the family and were tired of being alone in their house.

Rebekah and Jasper also had a bedroom in Bella's house and used it part time. They shared their time between the Salvatore Boarding house, where Jasper now had an official room, and Bella's house. They were happy this way and loved changing room every once in a while. Sometimes, they even went all the way to Forks to visit Carlisle and Esmee or to see Peter and Charlotte in Texas.

"It's very nice to finally meet you." Bella told Freya with a smile.

Bella was reassured to see that Freya was able to cross the threshold of her house. If she had had any intention of hurting them, she wouldn't have been able to come in. When they shook hands, Bella didn't get a bad feeling, which was another little reassurance. Apparently, her ancestors didn't see anything wrong about Freya's presence because the Candle she had placed with a warning spell was still unlit. It was all a good sign, but it wasn't enough yet.

"Thank you, it's nice to meet you too. I've heard a lot of good things about you on the way here. I think we'll get along well." Freya smiled.

"I hope so. Come, we'll go to the living room and check that Dahlia has no control over you, we'll talk and then we'll have some dinner." Bella told her.

"Of course. I understand your need to make sure my aunt isn't controlling me. She isn't, but in your position, I'd want to check too." Freya smiled, following Bella to the living room were everything she'd need had been brought.

Everyone stood around the room while Bella used a few spells to make sure Freya wasn't controlled by Dahlia and that they could trust her. It took half an hour.

Freya felt Bella's power, she saw that it was even greater than Dahlia's and after everything her siblings had told her about the young woman, she just had to respect her. The girl could make her disappear if she wanted to and she had armies of amazons to back her up, in addition of Klaus' hybrids who'd do anything for her too.

"I'm sorry Freya, I hoped I'd be able to easily break your link to Dahlia but it's going to be a little more complicated than I though. I mean, I could do it now but it would kill you, age you as you should have aged if you hadn't been linked to her... We'll look more into it together later, I think we'll need her to be present for me to do it. For now, you can take this bracelet off and be welcome in my family home. Your new home." Bella told the elder Mickealson, telling her clearly that she was allowed to use magic if she wanted to and reminding her that it was her house first.

"Thank you. And congratulation, for the baby."

"Thanks. Now come on, let's all go and eat. Klaus cooked and I can tell from the smell that the baby will love it."

The family ate and got to know Freya while she got to know them. Once they were done eating, they played Monopoly together and decided to look into the Dahlia problem in the morning.

.

"Are you sure you're okay Klaus?" Bella asked him once they both laid in bed together.

Her bedroom hadn't changed much since she arrived in this house. The only differences were Klaus' things all around the room and a couple of his paintings on the walls.

"I am. You worry too much for me." he smiled before he kissed her.

"If you ever want to talk about Marcel, even if it's to say things you've said a hundred times before, you know I'm here, right?"

"I know, Love. Don't worry. I love you." he replied with a smile.

"I love you too." She nodded.

"Did you find the spell you were looking for to repress the baby's magic during your pregnancy?" he asked her.

"Not yet but I still have a couple of weeks before signs of magic are shown. I'll find it later, though I'm not sure I want to use it. If I don't find this one, I hope I'll at least find the recipe for the potion to lessen the symptoms of the magical pregnancy. I read a part when Bianca burped Butterflies, it wasn't as pretty as it sounds."

Indeed, as she read her ancestor's journals, one thing became very clear to Bella: her family's babies often showed signs of magic while in their mother's womb. The stories she had read had convinced her to look for the journal filled with pregnancy tips her ancestors had filled. If she ended up having to fight for her life during her pregnancy, she didn't want to suddenly make flowers appear when she meant to blow something up. This was another reason why she made so many offensive and defensive potions to keep all around the house. She wanted to be prepared for anything.

"It's probably somewhere in the attic." Klaus reassured her.

He had offered to help her look, they all had, but she insisted that it wasn't urgent yet and that she'd be fine looking for it on her own for now. Kissing his pregnant love goodnight, Klaus heard Elijah, in the living room, on the phone with Emmett after having talked with young Isabelle for a while.

.

In the morning, after a good breakfast prepared by Sage, Bella and Freya went into the magic room to look into locating Dahlia and, if possible, getting rid of her without hurting Freya before she started being a problem for them.

"Usually, to solve a problem I don't understand I'd call upon my ancestors for help but they couldn't really help for this problem. They haven't crossed this kind of magic before. I think few people have done what your aunt did, the price for it is too high, not many people are willing to pay it and those who are are often stopped before they can do it." Bella shook her head.

"She never let me know the specifics of it, she never let me know anything about this spell that I could use to break it." Freya frowned.

"Don't worry, there are other ways. First we'll locate her. Then we'll do a spell to get the answer to a general question. It might not work but we'll see. There are a few possibilities in this book. Of course, there's always a last resort solution but we'll consider that only if we really don't find anything else." Bella replied.

"Last resort solution?" Freya asked her.

"Turning you into a vampire. It would take your magic away and if you're not a witch, you're not linked to her anymore." Bella replied.

"You're right... but I don't think I'm ready for that yet." Freya shook her head.

"I know, don't worry. We'll think of that later." Bella smiled.

She took several maps and, with Freya's blood, they tried to locate Dahlia.

"That's not good." Freya stated as they watched the small drop of blood slowly making its way in their direction.

"It's moving too slow to be searching for her location. It must mean that she's awake and coming for us." Bella frowned.

"She probably woke up when I did. She can sense my presence. Since I moved, she thinks I'm planning something against her again. She can't feel your baby yet, but she'll know once she gets close enough."

"You're right." Bella nodded before she took out everything she needed for her spell to get an answer.

"It's not working." Bella frowned once she tired asking how to break the link between Dahlia and Freya.

"Maybe we should ask another question." Freya suggested and so they tried to ask for an answer for over an hour before they gave up.

"I should try to write my own spell. We'd have to wait until she gets here to cast it and I'll have to be very careful in my wording but it should work. We'll use a few freezing potions to keep her in place, stick the bracelet on her wrist so she can't do magic and destroy her and unlink you in one go." Bella decided.

"You can do it?"

"I think so, yes. I mean, I've written or combined spells before. I can do it." She nodded.

"Can I help?" Freya asked her.

"Not really, not for this but maybe you can reinforce the protections around the house. There are simple things that can be done like using apples. Kol will show you everything downstairs. There's also a potion we can pour all around the house. We need to brew some more and I have everything needed in the basement." Bella suggested.

"I'll get right on it, Bella. Thank you." Freya smiled before she hugged Bella and rushed downstairs.

Freya understood why Bella wanted her kind of magic being the only one who protected her house, it was stronger there and the eldest Mickealson knew that if she performed a protection spell, Dahlia would be able to cancel it rather quickly.

.

Since the weather was nice, Bella grabbed one of her notepads to work on the spell and she settled in the garden, under the sun and near the enchanting scents of herbs and flowers mixing together in the air. Klaus was carving a bed for their child and he had settle a little closer to the woods that bordered the property. After a while, she saw Freya and Kol walking out of the house and she smiled when she noticed that Kol was showing his older sister how to reinforce the magical protection of the house by placing suitably cut apples with bay leaves. Bella had already blessed all of them, which is how they were allowed to use them.

Kol loved that he could still do a bit of magic this way, even if he had to wait for Bella to bless it. He could mix potions, collect ingredients and place protections. He didn't know that, for his birthday, Bella was working on a way for him to do magic. So far she found a way for her to fill a piece of wood with some of her own magic, it had been popular a long time ago and was at the beginning of the legends about magic wands. It would make her tired for a couple of hours but Kol would be able to use the wand to practice magic. Of course it would only be small spells but at least he'd be happy and it's something she'll be able to do for him once in a while.

.

"Bella, there's a package you need to sign for at the door." Elijah came to tell his sister in law who was relaxing in the garden.

"I'm coming." She smiled, following him.

Once she signed for the box, she realized that it was from one of her distant relatives. Over the time that had passed since her grandmother's death, a few of her distant relatives had contacted Bella one way or another to introduce themselves to the new and most powerful matriarch of their family. She had even visited a few of them a few months ago because she was needed in some ceremonies.

"What is it?" Klaus asked her.

"Some rare plants that don't grow in these parts of the country. They're used for rare and complicated but very powerful protection potions." Bella replied while examining the dried herbs and flowers.

"They want to stay on your good side." Elijah stated.

"True, but this will be useful to protect the house from Dahlia." Bella nodded.

"Bella, our aunt's dot is not far now. She should be here in no less than 2 days, maybe quicker, I'm not used to today's travel speed." Freya exclaimed when she rushed in the room.

"Good. The spell is ready, the potions are ready. We're all set, she'll be gone long before this baby joins us." Bella declared.

"I'd be surprised if she even had the time to fight back." Klaus chuckled.

"It's true, we are well prepared and I doubt she knows what to expect." Bella smiled.

"I didn't even know your kind of witches existed, I doubts she does either. She probably thinks I simply ran away to try and find my siblings." Freya nodded.

.

It was a few days later when the alarms placed all around the house warned them that Dahlia had arrived. To say that their aunt was pissed was an understatement. The witch soon realized that she was trapped, that she couldn't move and her anger rose even higher when Freya placed the cursed bracelet on her wrist.

"How dare you! Do you even know who you're attacking little girl?" Dahlia spat at Bella.

"I think it's you who has no clue of who's property you've entered. You don't know who I am, how powerful I am. But don't worry, you'll find out soon enough and I'll even do you a favor: I'm going to reunite you with your dear old sister. The two of you can rot together for eternity." Bella replied with a confident smirk.

"You won't win, not against me." Dahlia assured her.

"Really? I think we already have." Freya declared, feeling completely confident that they'd win.

"Too bad you have to leave so soon." Klaus added as his siblings were lined up behind Bella, showing her support.

"Power of the witches rise, course unseen across the sky. Come to me who calls you near, for justice is needed here." Bella started her spell, throwing a first potion at the trapped woman.

"Oh, how nice, you're doing poetry." Dahlia smirked.

"In this time and in this hour, I call upon the ancient power: Break the link holding Freya prisoner and reunite Dahlia with Esther." Bella continued, ignoring completely her aunt in law's words as Kol threw the second potion, knowing it was the right moment for it.

"What the..." Dahlia exclaimed as she felt magic working around her.

She could feel how powerful it was and it scared her. Already flames that could only have come from hell were growing all around her.

"In the same hell they can rot, but haunting us they cannot. I call upon the higher power to free Freya from the bother." Bella chanted.

Freya smiled, she could feel the magic working and by the look of horror on Dahlia's face, she knew that she could too. Knowing that the future would be brighter for her, Freya drank her own dose of potion, knowing that this was the perfect moment for it and that it would help free her.

"Power of the witches rise here and give Freya her life with those she holds dear. In this time and in this hour, I call upon the ancient power. Power of the witches rise, course unseen across the sky. Come to me who calls you near, come to me and settle this here." Bella finished chanting, smiling as her magic did its job and destroyed the evil woman who would have hurt her child.

They all stood around the front yard for a while, watching the fires of hell and magic disposing of their old aunt.

"What now?" Rebekah asked.

"Now, everyone's free." Bella smiled.

"Sage and I will leave in a couple of days to travel, but we'll be back before the birth." Finn announced.

"I'll join Caroline in Forks and I think we'll travel a bit too before coming back here so she can take a few classes in College." Kol added.

"I have no idea what I want to do." Freya shook her head.

"You've been trapped under Dahlia's rules for so long, maybe you should take a few days here to adapt to this world, then enjoy your newfound freedom and travel. You could start with Kol or Finn, spend some time with our friends and family so you're not completely alone. Know that you're always free to come back here whenever you want. No matter what you choose to do, you'll always have a room here." Bella assured the eldest Mickealson.

"Thank you." Freya smiled.

The family knew that there would be other obstacles to fight in the future. They had all created many enemies over the centuries and they were sure to eventually come after them but they also knew that they'd be able to fight them all and stay united.

For the time being, Klaus, Bella and Ansel would enjoy being a family while the other traveled. Maybe Marcel would even decide to pay them a visit, or maybe Klaus who decide to visit him, or write him a letter. It wouldn't be easy but they'd manage to go through it.

Together, as a family.

* * *

 **So, this is a little extra for you. I'll try to write another one for next Christmas, one where Marcel contacts Klaus. I'm not sure which way it'll go yet but I have a year to think about it, right?**

 **Don't forget to leave me a review!**

 **Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.**

 **Lorelei Candice Black**


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